Secure on-line ticketing

A method of providing a ticket to an end-user via a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a ticket server, the ticket server operably coupled to a validation information database;
• providing a distributor server;
• receiving a ticket request from an end-user's machine by the distributor server via the computer network;
• generating validation information from the ticket request by the distributor server;
• transmitting the validation information to the end-user's machine by the distributor server via the computer network;
• receiving by the ticket server the validation information from the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• generating by the ticket server a ticket using the validation information;
• storing the ticket in the validation information database;
• transmitting the ticket to the end-user's machine by the ticket server via the computer network;
• receiving the ticket from a scanning machine by the ticket server via the computer network;
• determining a validity status for the ticket by the ticket server using the validation information database;
• transmitting the validity status to the scanning machine by the ticket server via the computer network;
• and
• transmitting the validity status to the distributor server by the ticket server via the computer network.

A data processing system adapted to process a value bearing indicium via a computer network, the data processing system comprising:

• an end-user's machine;
• a scanning machine;
• and
• an indicium server including:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory operably coupled to the processor and having indicium server program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the indicium server program instructions, the indicium server program instructions including:
• receiving validation information from the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• generating value bearing indicium data using the validation information;
• storing the value bearing indicium data in a validation information database;
• transmitting the value bearing indicium data to the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• receiving the value bearing indicium data from the scanning machine via the computer network;
• determining a validity status for the value bearing indicium data using the validation information database;
• and
• transmitting the validity status to the scanning machine.

A data processing system adapted to provide a ticket to an end-user via a computer network, the data processing system comprising:

• an end-user's machine;
• a scanning machine;
• a distributor server including:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
• receiving a ticket request from the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• generating validation information from the ticket request;
• and
• transmitting the validation information to the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• a ticket server operably coupled to a validation information database, the ticket server including:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory operably coupled to the processor and having program instructions stored therein, the processor being operable to execute the program instructions, the program instructions including:
• receiving the validation information from the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• generating ticket data using the validation information;
• storing the ticket data in the validation information database;
• transmitting the ticket data to the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• receiving the ticket data from the scanning machine via the computer network;
• determining a validity status for the ticket data using the validation information database;
• and
• transmitting the validity status to the scanning machine.

A computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program instructions for execution by a computer, the computer program instructions adapting a computer to provide value bearing indicium data to a end-user via a computer network, the computer program instructions comprising:

• receiving validation information from an end-user's machine via the computer network;
• generating value bearing indicium data using the validation information;
• storing the value bearing indicium data in a validation information database;
• transmitting the value bearing indicium data to the end-user's machine via the computer network;
• receiving the value bearing indicium data from a scanning machine via the computer network;
• determining a validity status for the value bearing indicium data using the validation information database;
• and
• transmitting the validity status to the scanning machine.

A method of providing a value bearing indicium to an end-user via a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a set of relevant information from an end-user's machine via the computer network;
• verifying authenticity of the end-user responsive to the relevant information;
• generating a message digest by hashing a first subset of the relevant information;
• generating a digital signature from the message digest;
• generating a 2-D bar code from a second subset of the relevant information;
• transmitting via the computer network the digital signature and the 2-D bar code to the end-user's machine;
• and
• printing the digital signature and the 2-D bar code next to each other as a value bearing indicium.