Collaborative ticketing system

• US 10,699,221 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2019
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atom Tickets, LLC
• Original Assignee: Atom Tickets, LLC
• Inventors: Paleja, Ameesh, Rouse, Alexander, Raddatz, Alan, Capps, Kenley, Bakal, Matthew, Shaevitz, Geoff, Burns, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov, Igor N
• Application Number:
  US16/375,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20190347581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Features are disclosed relating to a collaborative ticketing system that manages various aspects of ticketing for events (e.g., movies, concerts, sporting events, and the like) using knowledge about the contacts, friends, and other social connections of system users. The collaborative ticketing system may generate dynamic ticket offers that are based on the number of friends, invited by users, ultimately obtaining tickets. The collaborative ticketing system can also streamline the procurement of concessions and other event-related items by allowing users to pre-purchase such items (e.g., in connection with ticket offers), and then pick up the items at the event venue with little or no wait. In addition, users can preview event-related content (e.g., movie trailers) for event providers (e.g., movie studios), and answer questions or otherwise provide feedback about the event-related content in return for special offers, rewards, and other considerations.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a mobile ticketing application configured to run on a mobile device of a user, said mobile ticketing application comprising:

a user interface module that provides a touch-based user interface on the mobile device, the user interface providing functionality for the user to at least;

browse movies and show times at theaters in a vicinity of the mobile device;

select a movie and an associated theater and show time;

initiate a group event in connection with the selected movie, theater and show time, wherein initiating the group event comprises selecting, from a display of contacts, a set of one or more contacts to invite to the group event, wherein the touch-based user interface provides functionality for the user to select the set of contacts by at least (1) tapping on a selectable representation of a previously invited group of contacts, said group comprising a plurality of contacts, whereby the user can select the plurality of contacts to invite without individually selecting each of the plurality of contacts, and (2) tapping on selectable representations of individual contacts, including individual contacts that are not included in said previously invited group; and

a group event processing module that is responsive to initiation of the group event by at least initiating an electronic transmission of an invitation to each selected contact, said invitation including a link to a server system that provides functionality for the invited contact to accept the invitation.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the mobile ticketing application is additionally configured to display, on the mobile device, an encoded display representing a ticket for attending the group event, said encoded display including encoded information corresponding to the group event, said encoded display adapted to be scanned at the theater and used to control entry into the theater.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface displays a wheel that is rotatable by the user with a swipe gesture to browse the movies, wherein the wheel has multiple sections, each of which corresponds to a different respective movie category.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein one of the sections of the wheel is a recommendations section that displays personalized movie recommendations for the user, said personalized recommendations based at least partly on ratings assigned by the user to specific movies.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface displays, for at least some of the contacts, respective indications of whether the contacts have already seen the selected movie.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface displays, for at least some of the contacts, respective indications of whether the contacts have indicated an interest in seeing the selected movie.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface displays recommendations of contacts for the group event, the recommendations of contacts based on at least one or more of the following:

(1) which contacts the user has previously invited to at least one group event, (2) which contacts have indicated an interest in seeing the movie, (3) movie preferences of the contacts.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the mobile ticketing application determines a price per ticket of the group event based at least partly on a number of attendees.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface module additionally provides user functionality to pre-order concessions for the group event.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the selectable representation of the previously invited group comprises names and images of the plurality of contacts.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the touch-based user interface displays selectable representations of each of a plurality of previously invited groups.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the touch-based user interface comprises:

a first section that displays selectable representations of previously invited groups, including said previously invited group;

a second section that displays selectable representations of individual contacts recommended by the mobile ticketing application for the group event; and

a third section that displays selectable representations of additional individual contacts;

said first, second and third sections being usable in combination to select the set of one or more contacts to invite to the group event.

13. A system that provides an event ticketing service, comprising:

a mobile ticketing application that runs on mobile devices of users, the mobile ticketing application providing a touch-based user interface that includes functionality for a user to browse events at local venues, select an event at a venue, select a set of one or more contacts to invite to the selected event, and initiate a group outing to the event, wherein the touch-based user interface provides functionality for the user to select the set of contacts by at least (1) tapping on a selectable representation of a previously invited group, said previously invited group comprising a plurality of contacts, whereby the user can select the plurality of contacts to invite without individually selecting each of the plurality of contacts, and (2) tapping on designations of individual contacts, including individual contacts not included in the previously invited group; and

a server system that communicates with the mobile devices and interacts with the mobile ticketing application, said server system storing service account information of users, and storing information regarding group outings initiated by users;

wherein the system is responsive to initiation of the group outing by sending, to each selected contact, an invitation message containing information about the selected event and a link for accessing the server system and joining the group outing.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is additionally programmed to generate, for respective members of the group outing, an encoded display that is adapted to be displayed on the mobile device of the member and scanned at the venue to control entry into the venue.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface further includes functionality for the user to purchase, prior to the event and in connection with the group outing, one or more concession items for pick-up at the event, wherein the system is responsive to scanning of the encoded display at the event by communicating an order for the one or more concession items to concessions personnel at the venue.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the invitation message comprises a text message or an application notification.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein user selection of the link causes activation of the mobile ticketing application or activation of a browser application.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is programmed to determine a monetary amount per ticket for the group outing based at least partly on a number of members of the group outing.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the selectable representation of the previously invited group comprises names and images of the plurality of contacts.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the touch-based user interface displays selectable representations of each of a plurality of previously invited groups.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the touch-based user interface comprises:

a first section that displays selectable representations of previously invited groups, including said previously invited group;

a second section that displays selectable representations of individual contacts recommended by the mobile ticketing application for the selected event; and

a third section that displays selectable representations of additional individual contacts;

said first, second and third sections being usable in combination to select the set of one or more contacts to invite to the selected event.