Field of the invention
-
Subiect of present invention are method and related systems to implement
playing, in telematic and automatic modality, for betting, gambling, lotto
lotteries and any other games of chance, in such a way that will allow the
player to keep a paper document as proof of identification and certification of
the game transaction he has performed. This paper document will be unique
and not forgeable, so that the original player will be able to prove indisputably
to have all the rights for prize claiming, in case of winning.
-
The method proposed, in addition to the use of the various modalities for
computerised telematic transactions, via phone or via PC, is focused on the
use, with the aim of validating and identifying the performed game
transaction, of the serial number of a banknote in legal circulation. Thus, the
banknote will constitute the unique and certain certification of the performed
game transaction for eventually claiming the prize, in case of winning.
-
Moreover, in case the game transaction payment is done using an anonymous
modality such as pre-paid cards, it is foreseen the insertion in those cards of
an identification checking code, to be kept hidden and secret, as further
protection against frauds aimed at the use of the available credit to play and to
acquire the rights in case of winning. In such a case, the mentioned
identification checking code will be uncovered and checked at the
presentation, for prize claiming, of the card together with the banknote.
-
Furthermore, it is foreseen that the player, besides keeping a paper document
identifying the performed game transaction, is enabled to receive at any
moment, on his request, a report with the contents of the game transaction
archived in the telematic system, identified by the banknote serial number, in
voice (via phone) or in writing (via fax or e-mail).
-
Therefore, the proposed invention allows to implement telematic systems,
aimed at supporting with automatic modalities performance of games of
chance, in which the problematics related to the telematic game transactions
security and to their certification for the claiming of the prize, in case of
winning, are solved.
-
Moreover, the proposed invention can be applied to all telematic services
systems in which the requirement of certifying in a certain and unique way
the performed transactions is a relevant issue.
State of the art
-
Until now many Telematic Systems for playing, with automatic modalities,
in games of chance have been invented and some of them have been subject of
requests and granting of patents at an international level.
-
In these previous inventions, mainly the main components of telematic
services have been used in various combinations focused on pre-paid cards in
such a way to allow solving specific problems related with the telematic
playing in general or with telematic playing in specific games of chance.
-
Particularly, solutions have been invented that identify the pre-paid card used
and every single game transaction performed with such card through a
combination of codes. Specifically, solutions have been invented based on
"use and throw" codes supplied to the player with the pre-paid card in order to
avoid the use of said combination of codes for further playing by third parties
that might intercept them in occasion of a game transaction. Therefore, each
of these "use and throw" codes, used only once, identifies in a biunivocal
way a single game transaction.
-
These solutions generally undergo the following drawbacks:
- the intercept by third parties might give them the capability of presenting a
reproduction of the pre-paid card to collect the prize.
- the number of game transactions which can be performed with the pre-paid
card is limited by the number of "use and throw" codes supplied.
Therefore, in many cases it might result difficult to supply as many "use and
throw" codes as the maximum number of minimum cost games transactions
allowed with the start up available amount in the pre-paid card, or,
alternatively, to manage with credits or rembursement the residual available
pre-paid amount still to be played in a card, once all supplied "use and throw"
codes have been utilised.
- It is not simple and straightforward the management of solutions alternative
to the use of pre-paid cards, based on payment of the game transactions
through credit/debt cards or any other way of crediting.
-
As reference, patents with the above mentioned features and problems are,
for instance:
Patent Japan P.O. | 07160791 |
Patent Japan P.O. | 09006864 |
Patent U.S. | 5083272 |
Patent U.S. | 5327485 |
Description of the invention
-
The Method and Systems to implement playing, in telematic and automatic
modality, for betting, gambling, lotto, lotteries and any other games of chance,
subject of the present invention, allow to overcome the above mentioned
issues.
-
The main feature is constituted by the use of a serial number of a banknote to
identify the game transaction and of same banknote to certify the right for
claiming the prize, in case of winning. Actually, in such a way, the player
keeps a paper document which is unique and not forgeable by third parties
who, having intercepted the game transaction, might attempt to claim the prize
in case of winning.
-
Another relevant feature of this invention will be effectively used in all cases
in which the payment of the game transactions is done through systems in
which it would not be possible to identify the player, like through anonimous
pre-paid cards, while when the game payment is done with credit cards or any
other kind of nominally assigned payment such feature is not necessary. For
instance, in pre-paid cards a secret hidden checking code will be inserted,
which has to be kept hidden until the presentation for claiming the prize, in
case of winning. This feature is aimed at protecting against frauds by third
parties who, having intercepted the codes identifying the pre-paid card,
emulate, by forgery, the card. Thus, without the above mentioned feature of
the present invention, such fraudolent third parties would be enabled to play
using residual credit of the intercepted pre-paid card while having the
possibility of claiming for the prize, in case of winning with their game
transaction.
-
The proposed invention is therefore maximally protecting from frauds
telematic games, by the double warranty given by the exploitation of two
different security codes:
- A code chosen autonomously by the player, i.e. the banknote serial number.
This code allows the same player to keep a paper document, i.e. the banknote,
to oppose to any claims of third parties who did not perform the game
transaction.
- A secret code assigned by the Agency who manages the telematic game.
The assigned secret code guarantees the player and the Agency against frauds
aimed at using the pre-paid card residual credit, as a forgery of the card
following the other codes interception would not allow anyway to claim a
prize. Naturally, third parties who might succeed in knowing the secret code
of a prepaid card which has been used by the legal owner for a winning game
transaction would not anyway be enabled to claim the prize without the
related banknote.
-
To the above reported basic features, in some peculiar system
implementations other features might be added, such as:
- checking of the contents of the game transactions, on player's request,
performed via same telematic systems. The player, after having proved at the
beginning of the checking transaction his identity, for instance by the
identifying codes of the pre-paid card, and identified the game transaction, by
the serial number of the related banknote, will be enabled to listen to a phone
automatic voice message or to receive a written message, via fax or via e-mail,
on the game transaction contents.
- additional protection with "use and throw" codes supplied to the player, for
instance together with the pre-paid card. Such protection is aimed against
third parties who, having intercepted the pre-paid card identifying codes,
would like to use the card residual credit even if only for vandalism. Actually,
they would not be able to get any advantage from such fraudolent action,
thanks to the effectiveness of the above mentioned main protection features.
On the other side, it is assumed that game transactions made using standard
personal credit/debt cards or any other personal credit system would anyway
be protected by standard data security procedures inherent in the related
telematic financial transactions, and therefore no need for such additional
protection would generally apply to them.
-
Various possible systems of implementation of the proposed method are
based, additionally to the above reported features, on the use of the usual
modalities for telematic transactions, either by phone or by PC, based on
configurations and operative flows that will be in general evident to the
experts in the field from what has been reported in the above and from the
detailed description of a specific application example reported in a
following chapter.
-
Telematic Systems implemented on the basis of the present invention will
therefore allow to perform game transactions in a completely automatic way.
-
Through such Systems playing services will:
- be available 24 hours a day
- allow game transactions to be performed by players from everywhere, also
from foreign countries
- allow the managing Agengies to extend the playing deadline until short
time before events start up.
-
Actually, such Systems have the peculiarity of allowing the users to perform
the game transactions through the use of a normal telephone or the use of a
Personal Computer, supplying highly user friendly and geographically
distributed services.
Brief description of the drawings
-
- Figure 1
- Pre-paid card, Part 1 - front side
- Figure 2
- Pre-paid card, Part 2 - front side
- Figure 3
- Pre-paid card, Part 1 - back side
- Figure 4
- Pre-paid card, Part 2 - back side
- Figure 5
- Pre-paid card, layout before the opening
- Figure 6
- Management by the Service Centre of the production and
distribution of the pre-paid cards and of the game transactions.
- Figure 7
- Operative flow of prize payment
- Figure 8
- General System Architecture
- Figure 9
- Service Centre Architecture
Detailed description of a specific application example
-
As an implementation example of the above proposed method the description
of the specific application to "Concorsi Pronostici" betting games on football
matches, managed in Italy by Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, CONI.
CONI's "Concorsi Pronostici" on football matches are structured in three
main betting games: Totocalcio, TotoGol and Totosei.
-
The Telematic System is structured to supply services with the following
features:
- collection of the betting transactions by phone (through DTMF or pulse
signalling and/or by voice recognition) or via Internet:
- payment of the betting transaction through a pre-paid card
- automatic validation of the betting transaction (extreme attention has to be
paid to security problems and to safeguarding on legal issues)
- archiving of betting transaction in due time.
- registration of credits for the betting transactions and for prizes amounts in
due time.
-
The service is managed by a "Virtual Broker Agency" that acts in perfect
analogy with real Broker Agencies.
-
The structure of the Service is based on:
- SERVICE CENTRE;
- PUBLIC PHONE TRANSPORT NETWORK to access the service;
- use of pre-paid cards as guarantee for the payment by the player
- involvement of a TREASURER AGENCY (BANK) for the distribution of
the pre-paid cards to the Broker Agencies, for managing the financial flow
related to the games transactions and for the payment of minor prizes.
-
The SERVICE CENTRE deals with the organisation and the informatic
management of the service; particularly it performs the following tasks:
- production and management of pre-paid cards
- management of the database on pre-paid cards by batches
- management of the automatic information system on the telematic game to
the players
- management of the virtual account associated to the pre-paid card credit
- collection and validation of the betting transactions
- archiving of betting transactions on unerasable informatic media,associated
with the storage of identifying code
- management of the closing of the betting games session, with the
production of files about the betting transactions, and delivery of informative
and legal documents together with overall betting amounts to CONI
- management of the database on winning betting transactions per each
games session
-
PUBLIC PHONE TRANSPORT NETWORK supplies service access
particularly qualified by:
- geographical distribution
- global availability
- quality
-
The only network with the above reported characteristics in Italy is
PLURITEL network of TELECOM, which allows to exploit the use of
telephone and of most modern interactive media, maximising potentialities
of betting services.
-
The computers of the Service Centre support the application which manages
betting transactions and, through the Front End, interface with the phone
network.
-
The service is supplied in similar way, independently from type of terminal
being used to access it.
-
In relation to user's terminal (phone or Personal Computer), the Transport
Network supports two different solutions:
- interconnection through PLURITEL network
- interconnection through INTERNET network
-
The service is based on a pre-paid card as way of payment by the player for
his betting game to Virtual Broker Agency. The Virtual Broker Agency
payment to CONI is made through direct bank transfer.
-
The access to the betting transactions is allowed only to owners of a pre-paid
card, called TOTOCARD.
-
The pre-paid card, that in the following will be referred to as TOTOCARD,
complies with the following features:
- it is identified and protected by unique unhidden and hidden codes and of
course, to assure the service security
- they can be of one or more types by initial credit amount, as required by
optimal service management.
-
The card is constituted by a paperboard folded in two and sealed by precut
fringes so that only the two external back sides are visible; in Table 1 the
configuration of TOTOCARD, structured in four sides, and the contents of
every side are shown.
-
The related operative flow is:
- After having bought the TOTOCARD, the holder tears off the precut
fringes that sealthe card and opens the paperboard to access to the two internal
front sides.
- Once the paperboard has been opened the card appears to be composed of
two parts united with precut connection, to allow easy separation for security
reasons of the two parts.
- The separation of the two parts permits at the holder to preserve separately
the part (Part 1) containing the identifying number of the card (CARTID) and
the part (PART 2) containing the PIN of the card (CARTPIN).
- The structure of the codes and card texture have been devised in analogy
to bank systems and according to ABI regulations on credit cards.
- The two code numbers, the card identifying one and the card PIN, are
associated so that they identify in an unique way the TOTOCARD. Both of
them are necessary to perform the betting.
-
The player buys an unabridged card (Fig. 5). When the player buys the card,
only the two external sides are visible, PART 1 and 2, which contain the
following.
PART 1 - EXTERNAL SIDE (Fig. 3), contains:
THE SERIAL CODE NUMBER OF PRODUCTION (SERIALCOD)
-
It is a serial number composed of 12 digits, automatically assigned by the card
manufacturer (Poligrafico), that identifies in a unique way the card and the
batch of production of the same card.
-
This number is necessary to check and verify the production of the cards and
to manage the whole phase of delivering.
-
The number is structured as follows:
- the first two digits encode the year of production
- the following seven digits encode the sequential number of production by
year
- the last three numbers are the checking code of the previous nine numbers
INSTRUCTIONS TO ENCODE ALPHABETIC LETTERS BY PHONE
KEYS DIGITS.
-
These instructions are necessary to encode alphabetic letters by digits, to help
the user in transmitting, by a telephone, alphabetic letters.
-
On this side is shown the layout of a standard CCITT alpha-numeric phone
keyboard, having alongside the following instructions:
- Dial two digits for every letter:
- First digit: number of the key
- Second digit: position of the letter on the previously selected key
- Example: A=2,1; V=8,3
-
"EXPIRATION DATE" OF THE CARD:
PART 2 - EXTERNAL SIDE (Fig.4), CONTAINS:
INSTRUCTION TO ACCESS THE SERVICE
-
To access the playing service dial the number 16413.
-
A recorded voice will answer you, welcome you and lead you during all the
phases of the game.
-
It is possible to submit the data and to perform the choices required for
playing using the keys of a normal phone, by following the automatic vocal
menus of the system.
-
For further information dial up the following number: 16414
ADVERTISING
-
It is an empty space on the card that can be sold for advertising images and
texts.
-
Once the precut fringes have been torn, the card can be opened and the two
internal sides of PART 1 and 2 become visible, containing the following:
PART 1 - INTERNAL SIDE (Fig. 1) CONTAINS:
ONE IDENTIFYING CARD NUMBER (CARTID)
-
It is the identifying card number. This number is a numeric code constituted
by three sets of four digits each, which allows the access to the playing
procedure.
-
The CARTID contains checking characters that allow to verify the correctness
-
of the CARTID. The aims of these checking characters are:
- to avoid bothering transactions made by randomly dialling a CARTID
- to highlight errors by the player in dialling the CARTID.
ONE SECRET CARD CODE (SECCOD)
-
It is a numeric code composed of nine digits, completely covered by a hiding
film, aimed at verifying the authenticity of the TOTOCARD; the hiding film
can be and must be removed only by the Agency responsible for the payment
of the winning. Previous removal of the hiding film by the player will
invalidate the card. The invalidation will inhibit the player to collect the prize
in case of winning.
SIGNATURE
-
It has been foreseen an empty space that can be filled in with the signature of
the holder, to personalise the card.
PART 2 - INTERNAL SIDE (Fig. 2) CONTAINS:
THE SECRET PIN (CARTPIN)
-
THE SECRET PIN (CARTPIN) is a film hidden numeric code composed by
five numbers. The player has to unhide this code by removing the film and is
suggested to store aftewards PART 2 in a different place from storage place of
PART 1, containing Identifying Card Number (CARTID), for additional
security measure, as only the combination of both numbers would allow the
betting transaction to be performed.
ONE SECRET CARD CODE (SECCOD)
-
This hidden secret code is exactly the same of the one reported in the PART
-
1 - INTERNAL SIDE. It has the same function of the previous one, to allow
the Agency responsible of the payment to check, before paying the prize, the
correct correspondence between the CARTID and CARTPIN.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CARDS
-
- Size (closed card): cm 8,89 x 5,09 (3,5" x 2")
- multicolour print front/back
- paperboard of 280/300 g/mq
- fanfold packaging: 10000 cards
-
-
The use of TOTOCARD entails the following activities:
- production
- delivering
- retail sale
-
The management of production and distribution of the cards will be
performed from the Service Centre (Fig. 6).
-
The serial numbers of the cards sold to Broker Agencies are reported to the
Service Centre, so that it will be always informed and updated on the situation
of the cards being circulated.
-
If it happens that the cards are stolen before being sold to players the Broker
Agency must report the production serial numbers of the stolen cards to the
Service Centre. The Service Centre will cancel these cards from the list of
the enabled ones, inserting them in a black list.
-
To facilitate the comprehension of the following pages, we include here a
glossary of the particular terminology used:
- CARTID: identifying card number, as above mentioned.
- CARTPIN: secret card PIN, as above mentioned.
- BANCOD (SERIAL NUMBER OF A BANKNOTE): serial number of a
banknote, that is situated on a legal banknote in circulation. It is used by the
player to confirm the play (it is a random combination uniquely employed as
"use and throw" code).
-
-
The player, to perform his play, will call the phone number related with the
service.
-
Once the player and Service Centre are connected together on the phone, a
"tree vocal menu" will lead the player during the transaction.
-
The "tree menu" is structured on two different main branches:
- access to the play session and related validation
- general information and reading of winning games
INFORMATION
-
The menu branch dedicated to the information is divided in three submenus:
- 1.Information on TotoTel service
- 2.Statistical information on the matches
- 3.Betting transactions checking
-
-
The first two submenus are accessible to everybody, as it is not necessary for
utilising them to be holder of a TOTOCARD.
-
In the submenu 1, general information about procedures and structure of the
gameand on costs of the service are supplied.
-
In the submenu 2 statistical information are supplied on the matches which
are inserted in the current betting session.
-
The third submenu, accessible only to holders of a TOTOCARD, permits the
player to check the performed play, until the betting transactions archives have
not been yet frozen and officially delivered to CONI.
-
Furthermore, this submenu gives the player the capability of checking if a
winning has been assigned to his TOTOCARD.
-
Further on we will describe all the checking formality, in a dedicated
paragraph.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BETTING GAME TRANSACTION (Fig. 6)
-
Only a TOTOCARD holder can access the playing transaction s menu.
-
The player is interactively guided through all the procedures needed to
perform the betting game.
-
The transaction is structured in three phases: log in, betting, validation. The
above listed phases are made available to the player only through the correct
notification of the various codes requested by the Service Centre, following
the interactive procedures of the game.
-
The service of telematic betting game transaction is structured on following
steps:
- TOTOCARD identification to allow access to the game
- Choice of the game type: Totocalcio (Toto 13); TotoGol; Toto Sei.
- Choice of typology of betting (by single columns or system)
- Betting data selection
- Confirmation of the play through the notification of the SERIAL
NUMBER OF A BANKNOTE.
- Communication of validation of the play by the Service Centre, through
the vocal replay of the SERIAL NUMBER OF THE BANKNOTE previously
notified by the player.
-
To facilitate the comprehension in the following we report synthetically an
example of a betting game transaction:
- TOTOCARD identification to allow access to the playing session
the player, after achieving connection with the Service Centre, gets access
to the game through the correct notification of the identifying card number
(CARTID) and of the secret card PIN (CARTPIN).
- Choosing between the available game types
- the system asks the player to choose the type of game he wants to play.
- Playing
- According the chosen game type, the system will ask the player to select
amongst the playing modalities offered by the rules of the game and to submit
the data of his betting game.
- Validation of betting transaction
- After completion of betting data submission by the player, the Service
Centre will read to the player the submitted data. The Service Centre then
asks the player to submit, as further security measure and to confirm his
betting choices, the SERIAL NUMBER OF A LEGAL BANKNOTE, to be
used as betting game transaction PIN.
- The banknote used as game PIN, MUST be kept by the player as a receipt
of the performed play toallow claiming of the prize in case of winning.
- The Service Centre will read to the player, as validation of the playing
transaction, the SERIAL NUMBER OF THE BANKNOTE (BANCOD) that
the player has notified. At the same time automatically the Service Centre
archives the betting game and corrispondingly decreases the amount of
playing credit available with that TOTOCARD.
- A TOTOCARD can be used as many times as his owner likes until the
credit is finished, as far as he utilises a different banknote for each betting
transaction
BETTING PAYMENT SYSTEM
-
The Service in consideration uses, as payment system for the betting games,
pre-paid cards (called TOTOCARD) that allow the player to play up to "n"
columns.
-
At the end of each betting game transaction the residual credit still available
in the card will be updated and notified on-line to the player.
-
Such payment system is very user friendly and offers the possibility of
guaranteeing always the credit necessary to pay the game.
-
To achieve this, if the number of columns played in the game is higher than
the number of columns allowed by residual credit of the currently used
TOTOCARD, the system offers the player the possibility to use another
TOTOCARD, cumulating the amount of available credit in both cards. Even
more than two TOTOCARDs can be used, applying recursively such
modality, to pay the amount of columns that a player wants to play.
-
The game transaction will be archived associated to the last used
TOTOCARD. Notwithstanding, the player MUST keep all the used
TOTOCARDs, because in case of winning they will have to be presented all
together to claim for the prize.
GAME TRANSACTION CONTENT VERIFICATION
-
After having terminated playing transaction, the player can verify the game
content by calling the Information Service and accessing to the verification
submenu.
-
The system asks the player to dial the CARTID, the CARTPIN and the
BANCOD, then according to them the system retrieves the data on
corresponding game content and reads them on-line.
-
Through this procedure, the player will be able to obtain the verification of
contents of his betting transactions anytime until the closing of the current
betting contest.
WINNING GAME VERIFICATION
-
Once the checking of the winning columns has been terminated, through
informatic media produced by the related CONI Data Processing Centre, all
the data about the winning games performed through the TotoTel service will
be transferred to the TotoTel Service Centre, which will make them available
for on-line verification by phone.
-
The player interested to know if his betting transaction is a winning one will
call the Information Service and will dial the CARTID and the CARTPIN
(identifying the TOTOCARD) and the system will give automatically
information about all the winning games corresponding to that TOTOCARD
whose prizes have not yet been claimed. In relation to every winning game the
system will tell to the player:
- the typology of game (Totocalcio, TotoGol, TotoSei or whatever)
- the number of the betting contest
- date and hour in which the game transaction was performed
- amount of the prize
PRIZE PAYMENT SYSTEM (Fig.7)
-
The player, in case of winning, to claim the prize will have to show to the
paying Agency the following:
- Part 1 of the TOTOCARD associated with the winning game, containing
the CARTID
- Part 2 of same TOTOCARD, containing the CARTPIN
- Part 1 and Part 2 of all TOTOCARDs used to pay the winning game
- the banknote whose number has been used as BANCOD
-
The paying Agency responsible will unhide the two SECRET CODES OF
THE CARD (SECCOD) and will verify the authenticity of the card, by
retrieving from the Service Centre all the data (CARTID, CARTPIN,
SECCOD and BANCOD) identifying the TOTOCARD and the winning
game.
-
Furthermore, he will verify with same procedure also the authenticity of all
other TOTOCARDs used to pay the winning game, if it is the case.
Once the procedure of verification has been completed, the Agency
responsible will pay the prize.
-
The Service Centre will contestually invalidate of the TOTOCARD,
consequently the paying Agency will also pay back the residual amount of
credit still available in the winning TOTOCARD. Part 1 and Part 2 of the
TOTOCARD will be collected and stored with all the other involved
TOTOCARDs and the receipt banknote (that will be, of course, paid back).
GENERAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE SYSTEM (Fig.8)
-
The user, by any kind of phone (or by computer connected to INTERNET)
calls and connects to PLURITEL service of TELECOM, which will route the
connection to the Service Centre (Fds=Service Supplier).
-
The Front End Processors of the Service Centre manage the call and the
betting game transaction.
-
Once the betting game is definitively validated, related data are sent to:
- the Data Base Server which archives them on a Hard Disk and Optical
Disk, and eventually prints them.
- The Command and Control Management System, which also archives them
on fault tolerant Hard Disk and on Optical Disk.
-
There is also a telematic link with the Bank in charge of prize payments, to
allow data exchange needed to authorize payments.
SERVICE CENTRE DESCRIPTION (Fig.9)
Components and related functions
-
Service Centre structure is a totally distributed one. All components are
connected through LAN and WAN and therefore they can be located and/or
duplicated in different sites, even very far ones. Such architecture supports:
- very high reliability. All components are at least duplicated (most of them
are many times redundant) and LAN/WAN works as a geographically
extended switching matrix, capable at any time of connecting fundamental
components to assure full functionality to the system
- great operational flexibility. Command and control of the whole system can
be located anywhere in the system locations and duplicated several times
- a very fast adaptivity to load conditions. Duplication of functions on several
identical components allows optimal distribution of work loads and therefore
high capability to support new higher ones
APPLICATION AND FRONT END PROCESSORS
-
Front End Processors are Service Centre components dedicated to manage
telephone connections, which are routed towards them through Pluritel and
Itapac networks.
-
Main functions of Front End Processors are therefore:
- Handling of connections with X25 Itapac network. Front End Processors
are connected to Itapac network through point-to-point lines, each operating at
64 Kbit/s with configuration, Itapac side, in Hunt-Group modality. Every
Front End Processor performs:
- X25 protocol interpreting and executing
- fetching X25 connect controls of Itapac network
- handling all virtual connections (SVC) with ACSF
- managing Pluritel protocols on SVC
- demultiplexing users connected to same SVC
- routing of received data towards respective users management tasks
- queing on same SVC of data coming from users management tasks
- updating of statistical counters associated to all active SVCs and making
them available to SNMP queries
- sending SNMP trap interrupts when unexpected or abnormal events happen
- Handling of betting transactions. The more relevant functions are:
- checking playerÕs TOTOCARD validity, by access to Data Base Server
- guiding the player by vocal menus through betting submission
- asking player to submit BANCOD
- archiving of betting game data in Data Base Server
- storage of same betting game data, together with sequential archiving
number assigned by Data Base Server, on at least 2 local sequential files. An
off-line autonomous task, running on management computers, continuously
or cyclically, is transferring betting games data from sequential files to
corresponding CD-ROMs. Such redundant storage procedure increases data
security and loosens need to have Data Base Server producing optical disks
to be sent to CONI
- Information management and ancillary services to users. Users can get also:
- TotoTel general informations
- statistical information on currently open betting contest
- verification of previously performed betting transactions, by TOTOCARD,
with dedicated query to Data Base Server
- read out of winning games, by TOTOCARD, with dedicated query to Data
Base Server
COMMAND AND CONTROL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
-
This System, normally duplicated but even with higher redundancy, is
structured as a cluster of two multiprocessor nodes.
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The functions performed by such systems, singularly or in parallel, are:
- Management of a Totaliser. The System is updating a Totaliser with data on
each accepted betting game
- Statistics Management. Counters and Historical Series are continuously
updated to allow overall evaluation of service performance and quality, e.g.:
- calls distribution by hours of the day
- betting games distribution by hours of the day
- number of aborted calls
- number of active SCVs
- number of active connections to Data Base Server
- Management and updating of Soccer Teams Archive. Data on all soccer
teams which are involved in betting contests must be known to the system,
as on them following Data Base is kept;
- Management and updating of Betting Contests Data Base. This Data Base
contains all betting contests included in the current season calendar. On
each contest following info is stored:
- contest reference data
- names of involved teams
- related vocal messages
- Management and maintenance of Vocal Messages Archive. This Archive
contains a copy of vocal messages stored in all ACSF and must be updated,
for instance, if a new team is involved in betting contests.
GATEWAY
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These equipments allow distributed location of System components to be
effectively implemented. They utilise transparently any among X25, Frame
Relais, or ISDN lines in order to optimise connection quality when line
conditions are degraded
DATA BASE SERVER
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It implements the redundant and fault tolerant memory of Service Centre,
normally mirrored in more than one location. Such Server must at least handle
and manage following Data Bases (or relational DB tables):
- TOTOCARD Data Base
- Betting games transactions Data Base (one for each contest)
- Winning games Data Base
GLOSSARY
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- BANCOD (SERIAL NUMBER OF A BANKNOTE): serial number of a
banknote, that is situated on a legal banknote in circulation. It is used by the
player to confirm the play (it is a random combination uniquely employed
as"use and throw" code).
- CARTID: identifying card number.
- CARTPIN: secret card PIN, used by player together with CARTID, to
activate betting transaction
- PLURITEL: TELECOM telephone network supporting interactive vocal
services
- SECCOD: secret code to be used to verify card authenticity by paying
Agency
- SIM: cellular telephone user identification card
- SMS: cellular telephone technology allowing data transmission
contemporarily with in progress conversation