Converting data formats of entertainment data feeds into specified data formats to facilitate purchase

• US 10,552,884 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Lambert, Susan Elaine, Balfour, William Robert, Kacmar, Miroslav, Kasprow, Michael Joseph, Pertschuk, Justin Jolyon
• Primary Examiner(s): Levine, Adam L
• Application Number:
  US12/987,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,312 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for collecting and listing entertainment ticket information from multiple data sources, and facilitating the sales of entertainment tickets over a network. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for offering to sell entertainment tickets over a network. The method includes the steps of providing exhibition data importation rules for importing exhibition data, electronically receiving the exhibition data from multiple exhibition data feeds in accordance with the exhibition data importation rules, and electronically eliminating any duplicates from the exhibition data. The method further includes the step of providing, over the network, to a user a listing of entertainment exhibitions in accordance with user-selected or selected criteria, in which the listing provides an option to purchase an exhibition ticket from an entertainment ticket provider. In the method, the exhibition data may include an entertainment identification information, an entertainment exhibition location, and an entertainment exhibition time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a list of available entertainment offerings, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network connection at a computing device, a plurality of data feeds from two or more providers, each of the plurality of data feeds comprising a data format and the data feeds carrying data including entertainment identification information relating to entertainment offerings for an entertainment exhibition from the two or more providers;

processing, using a processor of the computing device, the data from the plurality of data feeds into a display listing having one or more specified data formats provided on a display device of the computing device based on data importation rules and in accordance with at least one user-selected criterion, wherein the processing based on the data importation rules includes formatting data of the plurality of data feeds from the two or more providers such that the data is consistent with the one or more specified data formats, wherein the data formats of the plurality of data feeds are different than the one or more specified data formats and wherein the formatting comprises converting the data formats of the plurality of data feeds to the one or more specified data formats;

presenting, on the display device of the computing device, a user interface displaying the listing and having an option to purchase entertainment included in the listing from each of the two or more providers; and

responsive to receiving, via the user interface, a user selection from the listing, directing the computing device to access a provider system of a provider associated with the user selection;

wherein the directing causes the computing device to receive information of the provider system over the network connection and load the information at the computing device for purchasing the entertainment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the data feeds includes data relating to one of a show and a movie.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second user selection of a future entertainment exhibition from the listing; and

providing access to a third-party provider of the future entertainment exhibition based on the second user selection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third-party provider provides permission to access the future entertainment exhibition.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the permission to access comprises a ticket.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

mapping entertainment exhibition data of an individual provider included in one of the plurality of data feeds to entertainment data of a studio; and

providing the entertainment data of the individual provider and the entertainment data of the studio in an entertainment-specific interface to the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data importation rules comprise at least one of data scripts, lookup tables, and stored procedures.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one user-selected criterion comprises entertainment name.

9. A non-transitory computer-medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, perform a method for displaying a list of available entertainment offerings, the method comprising:

receiving, over a network connection at the computing device, a plurality of data feeds from two or more providers, each of the plurality of data feeds comprising a data format and the data feeds including entertainment identification information relating to entertainment offerings for an entertainment exhibition from the two or more providers;

processing, using the processor, the data from the plurality of data feeds into a display listing having one or more specified data formats provided on a display device of the computing device based on data importation rules and in accordance with at least one user-selected criterion, wherein the processing based on the data importation rules includes formatting data of the plurality of data feeds from the two or more providers such that the data is consistent with the one or more specified data formats, wherein the data formats of the plurality of data feeds are different than the one or more specified data formats and wherein the formatting comprises converting the data formats of the plurality of data feeds to the one or more specified data formats; and

presenting, on the display device, a user interface displaying the listing and having an option to purchase entertainment included in the listing from each of the two or more providers; and

responsive to receiving, via the user interface, a user selection from the listing, directing the computing device to access a provider system of a provider associated with the user selection;

wherein the directing causes the computing device to receive information of the provider system over the network connection and load the information at the computing device for purchasing the entertainment.

10. A system for displaying a list of available entertainment offerings, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, over a network connection, a plurality of data feeds, each of the plurality of data feeds comprising a data format and the data feeds including an entertainment identification information relating to entertainment offerings for an entertainment exhibition from the two or more providers;

a processor configured to process data from the plurality of data feeds into a display listing having one or more specified data formats provided on a display device based on data importation rules and in accordance with at least one user-selected criterion, wherein processing based on the data importation rules includes formatting data of the plurality of data feeds from the two or more providers such that the data is consistent with the one or more specified data formats, wherein the data formats of the plurality of data feeds are different than the one or more specified data formats and wherein the formatting comprises converting the data formats of the plurality of data feeds to the one or more specified data formats;

an output unit configured to effectuate presentation of a user interface on the display device, the user interface displaying the listing and having an option to purchase entertainment included in the listing from each of the two or more providers; and

responsive to receiving, via the user interface, a user selection from the listing, the processor is configured to direct a computing device to access a provider system of a provider associated with the user selection;

wherein the directing by the processor causes the computing device to receive information from the provider system over the network connection and load the information on the computing device for purchasing the entertainment.