Computer-based right distribution system with temporal variation
AssigneeTicketmaster
InventorKenton F. Brett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated ticket auctioning system receives and evaluates bid information records received from a plurality of remote terminals. Each bid information record corresponds to at least one bid for one or more desired seats at a venue. Each bid information record may also include a plurality of additional bids identified for different seats in the venue. The separate bids in each bid information record are prioritized. The automated ticket auctioning system includes a central controlling computer operable to receive the bid information records and determine, in order of priority, whether any of the bids in a bid information record is accepted. If one bid in a bid information record is accepted, all lower priority bids in that bid information record are dismissed.
Claims24
A method of auctioning a plurality of event tickets, the method comprising:
- transmitting, over a network to a user terminal, a ticket auction start date prior to the ticket auction start date;
- transmitting, over the network to the user terminal, minimum bid information associated with one or more events;
- causing an interface to be transmitted to the user terminal via which a user can select, from a plurality of seating areas, a seating area for at least a first of the one or more events,
- providing an interface via which the user can submit a bid for a seat ticket in the selected seating area;
- receiving, over the network from the user terminal, a plurality of ticket bids that are associated with the one or more events, including the bid for the seat ticket in the selected seating area;
- correlating at least a portion of the received ticket bids with event tickets,
- wherein the event tickets grant a right to attend the one or more events;
- and
- transmitting a notification over the network to a selected terminal associated with a successful auction bidder.
A system for auctioning a plurality of event tickets, the system comprising:
- a computing device;
- instructions stored in computer readable memory, that when executed by the computing device are configured to performing operations comprising:
- transmitting, over a network to a user terminal, a ticket auction start date prior to the ticket auction start date;
- transmitting, over the network to the user terminal, minimum bid information associated with one or more events;
- causing an interface to be transmitted to the user terminal via which a user can select, from a plurality of seating areas, a seating area for at least a first of the one or more events,
- providing an interface via which the user can submit a bid for a seat ticket in the selected seating area;
- receiving, over the network from the user terminal, a plurality of ticket bids that are associated with one or more events, including the bid for the seat ticket in the selected seating area;
- correlating at least a portion of the received ticket bids with event tickets, wherein the event tickets grant a right to attend the one or more events;
- and
- transmitting a notification over the network to a selected terminal associated with a successful auction bidder.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, that when execute by the computing device are configured to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
- transmitting, over a network to a user terminal, a ticket auction start date prior to the ticket auction start date;
- transmitting, over the network to the user terminal, minimum bid information associated with one or more events;
- causing an interface to be transmitted to the user terminal via which a user can select, from a plurality of seating areas, a seating area for at least a first of the one or more events,
- providing an interface via which the user can submit a bid for a seat ticket in the selected seating area;
- receiving over the network from the user terminal, a plurality of ticket bids that are associated with the one or more events, including the bid for the seat ticket in the selected seating area;
- correlating at least a portion of the received ticket bids with event tickets, wherein the event tickets grant a right to attend the one or more events;
- and
- transmitting a notification over the network to a selected terminal associated with a successful auction bidder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.