IE20050389U1 - Directory service provision - Google Patents
Directory service provisionInfo
- Publication number
- IE20050389U1 IE20050389U1 IE2005/0389A IE20050389A IE20050389U1 IE 20050389 U1 IE20050389 U1 IE 20050389U1 IE 2005/0389 A IE2005/0389 A IE 2005/0389A IE 20050389 A IE20050389 A IE 20050389A IE 20050389 U1 IE20050389 U1 IE 20050389U1
- Authority
- IE
- Ireland
- Prior art keywords
- numbers
- sets
- customer
- lottery
- prize
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000004590 computer program Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000010200 validation analysis Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000969 carrier Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000009499 grossing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000875 corresponding Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001809 detectable Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001737 promoting Effects 0.000 description 1
Abstract
ABSTRACT A method for delivering prepaid lottery numbers to customers by a directory service provider using a telecommunications system is described. The directory service provider allocates one of a pre—purchased pool of sets of lottery numbers to the customer and transmits the allocated numbers by SMS protocols. A prize claim verification code is also transmitted in an SMS message with the allocated numbers to enable authentication of any subsequent prize claim made by a customer once a lottery has taken place.
Description
The present invention relates to a method for the delivery of prepaid lottery numbers
to customers by a service provider using a telecommunications system to provide the
service. The method is particularly related to the provision of telephone numbers
from a directory service provider. in which the directory service provider additionally
sends an SMS message to the customer detailed in the number provided.
Directory service prow'ders are continually searching for ways to promote their
services and to provide added value to their customers. This is usually done by
various promotions and otherways of persuading the customers to continue to use
the services. Unfortunately, most of the ways proposed heretofore are rather
expensive to operate and further require a considerable infrastructure. There are
also considerable problems in finding an efficient way to deliver prizes, rewards or
other incentives to such customers. Most proposals heretofore have been unwieldy,
expensive and, even more importantly, have lacked clarity and openness insofar as
the customer is concerned. To the customer it always appears to be somebody else
who gets the reward, other than the faithful customers.
There are many service providers which rely on the use of SMS messaging and text
messaging as an important means of communication between the provider and it's
customers. This fact has been realised by many service providers who have used
such text messages to add additional advertising and other promotional data to such
text ITIBSSEQGS.
There is a demand in the industry for a system that provides some incentive or
reward to the customer that is transparent in its provision and, more importantly, can
be easily implemented out without excessive costs.
According to the invention, there is provided a method for the delivery of prepaid
lottery numbers to customers by a directory service provider using a
telecommunications system to provide the service, on the customer purchasing a
predetermined service, the method comprises:
sending an SMS message to the customers phone;
allocating one of a pre-purchased pool of sets of current lottery numbers
to the customer;
transmitting one of the sets of numbers as one of, part of the SMS
message and a separate SMS message to the customer;
“transmitting a claim verification code with the set of numbers; and
on the lottery draw taking place:
making a claim for any prize awarded to any set of winning numbers in
the lottery draw;
storing the prize money for each set of winning numbers; and
delivering the relevant prize money to a claimant who transmits an SMS
message containing the set of winning numbers and the claim
verification code. ’
In one embodiment, the claim identification code comprises one or more of:
call line identification number (CLI);
time of call data:
a random SMS message number, and
a message ID.
lEo5o389
In one embodiment, the claim identification code is encrypted and stored for
subsequent retrieval.
In one embodiment, there is provided a method in which:
the set of numbers in the pool is divided into different categories of sets
of numbers within the pool, the categories comprising one or more of:
sets of numbers to be transmitted only once;
sets of numbers to be transmitted only a certain number of times;
sets of numbers to be transmitted to a predetermined sets of
customers only; and
sets of numbers to be transmitted without restriction.
in another embodiment of the invention, allocation of the sets of numbers is based on
one or more of".
usage by the customer of the service over a preset period;
location of a customer; and
time of day when the SMS message was sent.
in one embodiment, the allocation of a set of numbers from a specific category of
sets of numbers comprises:
checking the ca|ler’s CL! and on the customers use of the service
exceeding a predetermined amount over a preset period, one of the
sets of numbers of the category to be allocated only once is allocated to
the customer and only if all have been allocated, will a set of numbers
|Eo5o3e9i
other than these be allocated.
in one embodiment of the invention, on the lottery taking place:
the winning sets of numbers are stored on a database;
the prize allocated to each customer is listed for each winning set of
numbers; and
on a customer sending an SMS message including the claim
identification code, the customer is sent an SMS message detailing how
the prize may be claimed.
in another embodiment, there is provided a method in which on a set of winning
numbers being allocated a prize, the number of customers to which the set has been
allocated is determined and the share of the prize money due to each customer is
calculated.
in one embodiment, the payment of the prize money to the customer is carried out on
receiving a claim by one of:
sending a payment of the prize to the customer by a suitable currency
transfer method; and
crediting the customer with the monetary amount of the prize against
future purchases with the service provider.
in one embodiment, when the prize due to the customer is less than a preset amount,
the customer is credited with the monetary amount of the prize against future
purchases.
In one embodiment, on the share of the prize for each customer being less than a
preset amount, the share is increased to a greater amount and the greater amount is
given to claimants until all these shares have been claimed.
IE050389
In one embodiment, on the expiry of a preset period after the lottery draw has taken
place:
all the unclaimed prizes are cancelled;
the unclaimed prizes are allocated to an unclaimed prize fund; and
on the unclaimed prize fun exceeding a predetermined amount, the amount of
the unclaimed prize fund is distributed by one or more of:
a draw of a number of sets of numbers ‘for the current lottery;
a grossing up of the amount of the prizes for the current lottery; and
allocation of the unclaimed prize fund to a charity.
In one embodiment, the set of numbers is allocated on the basis of one of:
random selection; and
sequential selection as SMS messages are sent
In another embodiment of the invention, at a predetermined time, prior to the draw,
the process is terminated and no further sets of numbers are allocated for that draw.
in one embodiment, all SMS messages for which a set of numbers is not allocated
are stored until the next pool of sets of numbers is purchased and then the sets of
numbers are allocated for this new draw and the SMS messages are sent.
In one embodiment, the predetermined service being purchased is the provision of a
telephone number from a Directory Services Provider in which the Directory Services
Provider additionally sends an SMS message to the customer detailing the telephone
number provided.
ilE050389
In another embodiment, one or more of the steps are carried out outside the
jurisdiction.
In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer program
comprising program instructions for causing a computer to carry out the method as
described above.
In one embodiment, the computer program may be embodied on a record medium,
on a read only memory, stored in a computer memory or carried on an electrical
signal carrier. ‘
um”: .I. “ll .
The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some
embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, in which:
Fig. 1 is a stylised view of a system architecture for carrying out the invention,
Fig. 2 is a simplified flowchart of part of one method for carrying out the
invention, and
Fig. 3 is a flowchart of another part of the method of carrying out the
invention.
In this specification, the term “service provider” is used, not only to relate to directory
service providers, but also to other service providers who give or download services
on purchase to a user’s telephone. However, the present description largely relates
to the use of national and trans-national lotteries in which players in the lottery are
given a set of numbers. A typical lottery, for example. might allow a purchaser to
choose six numbers, any one of which is a number between 1 and 49 with no number
repeated. Then the lottery provider cam'es out a draw and issues prizes based on
four or five numbers or various other combinations, all of which lead to a share in a
cash prize. Then there is usually a major prize which is awarded to those players
lEO5038.9
who match all six numbers.
However, the term "lottery" and “lottery numbers" could also be used to encompass,
for example, the simple numbering of tickets for a draw or some other way of
awarding prizes based on a number.
The term “a set of numbers" is used to refer to any numbers that are allocated to a
player and would be lead to the award of a prize. Thus, a winning set of numbers
refers to any set of numbers for which a prize has been allocated in the draw.
Simply, in operation, the service provider will purchase, for example, a substantial
number of lottery tickets, for example 10,000, at the beginning of the week prior to a
particular draw. These lottery numbers or sets of numbers would then be appended
to each text message issued in the week prior to the draw and thus, depending on
the number of sets of numbers that are purchased by the service provider, the
customer will have a greater or lesser chance of winning a prize. Thus, for example,
if a company were to purchase 10,000 lottery tickets, that is to say, sets of numbers,
and were to send out 100,000 sets of numbers to customers over the relevant period,
each set of numbers would be used around ten times before the particular draw.
Thus, one can easily see that the customer has a considerable chance of winning a
prize or at least, more properly, sharing in a prize, without having to make any
purchase. It should be noted that with the method according to the present invention,
it is envisaged that certain sets of numbers will only be allocated once to customers
and thus the customers will know, on allocation, that they have received a set of
numbers in exactly the same way as if they had purchased the number themselves.
Now referring to Fig. 1, there is illustrated the system according to the invention,
indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, connected to a telecommunications
network 2 to which there is also connected a number of customer mobile phones 3
and landlines 4 capable of receiving a text message. The system 1 is a directory
enquiries provider and comprises a plurality of operator workstations 10, only one of
which is illustrated, and two databases, namely, a systems database 11 and a control
database 12. The systems database 11 is connected to a communications control
database 12 which in this case is identified by the brand VAS, and which is, for
IEO:i0389
.73‘
example described in British Patent No. 2,334,410 by the present applicants. This
control database 12 handles the SMS messaging. There is illustrated a lottery
numbers input device 15 connected to a numbers assigner device 16 which in turn is
connected to the control database 12 and also to the systems database 11. There is
also provided a password generator 17, a lotto number recorder 18 and a winner
validator unit 19 which in turn is connected to a website 20 operated by the systems
services provider.
In operation and referring now to Fig. 2, on the week prior to a lottery. in step 1, a
number of lottery numbers are purchased from the lottery operator. In step 2, the
lottery numbers are stored. In step 3, a request for a service is received and then in
step 4, an SMS message is sent giving, in this case, the telephone number
requested. if, by any chance, no SMS» message is sent. then in step 5, the operation
is terminated. However, presuming an SMS message is sent, the database is
consulted in step 6, where the lottery numbers have been stored. Then, in step 7, a
set of numbers is extracted and in step 8, simultaneously, a random key code is
selected and in step 9, a hash key is generated. Then the extracted set of numbers
from the database and the generated hash key is added as an SMS message in step
, which is then transmitted in step 11 to the customer. Therefore, the customer’s
request for the telephone number is accompanied with this additional number and a
generated hash key. These are stored by the directory services provider in step 12
as a set of numbers with the generated hash key.
Then the lottery takes place and referring now to Fig. 3, in step 20, the numbers
drawn in the lottery are received and in step 21, the database is checked to find out
what winning numbers have actually been purchased. Then, in step 22, details of the
winning sets of numbers and the relevant prizes are stored. In step 23, the database
is checked for the winning SMS messages. In step 24. the necessary prizes are
allocated to the winning customers. It will be appreciated that in some cases.
obviously more than one customer will share a prize. Then, in step 25, a claim for a
prize is received from the customer and in step 26, validation takes place and either
the claim is rejected in step 27 or the claim is accepted and a prize is delivered to the
customer in step 28.
|[o5o339
It will be appreciated that it is very important to ensure there is absolute security so
that sets of numbers are only allocated to those SMS messages they should be.
Thus, each operator workstation, namely the workstation 10 of Fig. 1, will require a
secure encrypted log-in (UID) and password (PWD) on start-up. It is envisaged that it
may be necessary at set intervals to repeat such encrypted log-in and password
generation. This password generation will be required, as well as the UID, so that the
combination will be needed to submit an SMS message effectively to the queue in the
secure database 11. It will be appreciated that any well known algorithm may be
used to decrypt the password which can be coded into the various workstations 10.
Then the UID and PWD combinations will be generated by the password generator
application. » s
it is envisaged that the ‘purchase of sets of numbers can be written to both secure
databases 11 and 12 with no indication of how they will be used. They can also be
read into memory by an application which will determine how the sets of numbers will
be selected. For example, it will be possible to randomly select one set, which will be
categorised, by the fact that it may be used only once and other sets which may be
shared among a number of users. Thus, for example, it is envisaged that some of
the sets of numbers will be used much more often than others, or allocated more
often. When assigning a set of numbers, the numbers can be assigned randomly by
using some random number generator or indeed simply sequentially since the
requests come in randomly and thus by allocating the sets of numbers on a purely
sequential basis, the effect is random since no user of the service could possibly
predict where in a particular queue he or she would be.
It is envisaged that the password generator will automatically determine encrypted
UID/PWD combinations for use by the workstation. It is also envisaged that a web
interface may be provided which would have limited functionality to allow a customer
to check if they have won, based on their own call line identification number (CLI)
and/or lottery numbers and/or the hash key or other key code assigned to them.
it is envisaged that security will be very important and security needs to adequately
deal with the queuing of messages and the assigning of lottery numbers and unique
values to the messages. In the embodiment described above, only SMS generated
|EO50389
-10.
as a result of a directory enquiry will be eligible for the draw. Therefore, it is essential
that no other message can be put into the queue. Thus, it is necessary to generate
the necessary UID/PWD combinations for use by the workstations to submit the
messages. It is envisaged that the operation will work somewhat as follows:
(i) Applicationgenerates the UID/PWD and places in an encrypted table.
(ii) The application generates a login on the secure database to allow the
workstation write—only access to the message queue.
(iii) The workstation reads and decrypts the new values either at set intervals or
on start—up and refreshes its connections.
(iv) Once a suitable time period has elapsed, the application removes the
previous login.
By carrying out such a process, this should ensure that only valid workstation
messages are placed in the queue and only by the designated workstations.
As well as regularly changing Iogins, it is envisaged that processes will be provided to
validate SMS messages against calls using CDR data. This should not cause any
difficulty as it is relatively easy to validate that an SMS message is a result of a valid
call by comparing the CLI time data and thus any SMS message generated by any
fraudulent source should be detectable. An added advantage of this is that it would
also monitor any unusual patterns of multiple messages to the same CLI.
As mentioned already, there are many ways in which, for example, a unique identifier
may be provided. For example, it may be possible to provide a random alphanumeric
such as a seven digit key code. This can in turn be encrypted for validation
reference.
It is envisaged that a hash key may be provided based on a combination of unique
fields including, for example, time queued or time of the call received, CLI, number
requested, key code, lottery numbers and indeed message ID. Again, this key will be
written to an encrypted field.
Once the draw has taken place and the prizes are available, it is important to ensure
lEo5o3a9
that there is adequate security.
it is envisaged that at predefined intervals before drawing of the numbers, all SMS
entered for that draw should be effectively quarantined. Thus, the SMS messages
will effectively be stored and queued for the next draw.
It is proposed to run a script that will automatically remove valid SMS’s from the live
queue at a defined time to a secure read only draw table. This table will contain
messages for that draw only and can be named to reflect that.
Once the winning numbers have been received and validated against X number of
sources, an application will be run to automatically generate a list of winners for
-‘ delivery to appointed personnel only and recording to a secure database.
There are many systems, it is envisaged, that may be used to validate the claimants.
indeed, in certain circumstances, when the prize is above a certain amount, the
claimant will be required to show evidence of having received the message. This
may include the CLI that received it, the time it was received and the content of the
SMS. The CLI, requested CLI, lottery numbers claimed and the 7 digit key code,
mentioned above, can be validated against the message queue and previously
generated winners list. If a match is found, then the corresponding message can be
located in the message queue and the hash value validated against the content
provided and queue parameters. If required, the SMS can be checked against call
records or workstations statistics to further validate its authenticity. Needless to say,
the elaborate validation would only occur for relatively large prizes.
in relation to the allocation of prizes, it is appreciated that in certain instances the
amount of the prize may be such as not to make it worthwhile sending a sum of
money to each of the customers, in which case, it is envisaged that the prize will be
simply allocated on the basis of a credit for future use of the services. Alternatively,
for example, it may be that instead of sharing the prize with, for example, 100
customers, it will be decided to share the prize within the first ten customers
requesting the prize. It is also envisaged that, for example, instead of allocating the
prize to individual customers, when the amount the customers would achieve is very
IE050389
small, it may be distributed in some other way. Also, it is envisaged that at a certain
time after the draw, any unclaimed prizes will be simply allocated to a pool of
unclaimed prizes for future distribution. Since the national lottery operates a similar
time base system, it is envisaged that with the present invention, such a time base
system would be utilised operating in exactly the same way as the national lottery. It
is also envisaged that any unclaimed prize money can be used in various ways,
possibly by way of having a separate draw among customers by way of grossing up
the value of the prizes in a subsequent draw or simply allocating the money to charity
or some other good cause.
It is also envisaged that the manner in which the sets of numbers may be allocated
may be changed, depending on particular circumstances. For example, it may be
decided that to allocate initially to those customers who use the service more than a
certain amount of time in any particular period, they will receive a set of numbers
which is not allocated to any other user. Similarly, one might decide to allocate more
numbers or more useful, as it were, sets of numbers to customers, depending on
when they requested the service or indeed where they were located. There are
many ways in which this can be done.
it will also be appreciated that some or all of the steps of carrying out the methods of
the present invention may be carried out within or outside the jurisdiction. Further, it
will be appreciated that a computer program comprising program instructions for
causing the computer to carry out the method of the invention may be provided. That
computer program may be embodied on a record medium, on a read only memory,
stored on a computer memory or carried on an electrical signal carrier.
In the specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” or
any variation thereof and the terms "include, includes, included and including" or any
variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be
afforded the widest possible interpretation and vice versa.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, but may be
varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.
Claims (4)
1. A method for the delivery of prepaid lottery numbers to customers by a directory service provider using a telecommunications system to provide the service, on the customer purchasing a predetermined service, the method comprises: i sending an SMS message to the customer's phone; allocating one of a pre-purchased pool of sets of current lottery numbers to the customer, transmitting one of the sets of numbers as one of, part of the SMS message and a separate SMS message to the customer; transmitting a claim verification code with the set of numbers; and on the lottery draw taking place: making a claim for any prize awarded to any set of winning numbers in the lottery draw; storing the prize money for each set of winning numbers; and delivering the relevant prize money to a claimant who transmits an SMS message containing the set of winning numbers and the claim verification code.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the claim identification code comprises one or more of: call line identification number (CLI); time of call data; |£;5o3s9 a random SMS message number; and a message ID.
3. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which: the set of numbers in the pool is divided into different categories of sets of numbers within the pool, the categories comprising one or more of: sets of numbers to be transmitted only once; - sets of numbers to be transmitted only a certairrnumber of times; sets of numbers to be transmitted to a predetermined sets of customers only; and sets of numbers to be transmitted without restriction.
4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which, on the lottery taking place: the winning sets of numbers are stored on a database; the prize allocated to each customer is listed for each winning set of numbers; and on a customer sending an SMS message including the claim identification code, the customer is sent an SMS message detailing how the prize may be claimed. A method for delivery of prepaid lottery numbers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Dk\spec\m4190-11 conduit spec 06june05temp 23 ies
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
IE20050389U1 true IE20050389U1 (en) | 2006-11-15 |
IES84422Y1 IES84422Y1 (en) | 2006-11-15 |
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