ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF ADMISSION TICKETS DIRECT TO A PURCHASER

• US 20020023955A1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oncard Marketing Incorporated (Neptune Retail Solutions)
• Original Assignee: Oncard Marketing Incorporated (Neptune Retail Solutions)
• Inventors: STORCH, LEONARD, FRANK, LEONARD
• Application Number:
  US09/451,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023955A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

Electronic delivery of counterfeit-resistant documents (10a, 10b) exchangeable for value such as admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons vouchers, etc. directly to the person who ordered the documents over an open communications network such at the Internet. A first party (38) orders documents exchangeable for value from a second party (50), and the second party electronically delivers the ordered document, which is counterfeit resistant, to the first party at a location designated by the first party. Electronic delivery comprises the second party providing, electronic information to the first party'"'"'s equipment via the network from which the first party'"'"'s equipment can produce a hard, counterfeit-resistant copy of the ordered document. For example, the document may be electronically ordered using a PC (36), and electronic information defining at least part of the document provided to the PC, from which equipment coupled to the PC can produce the hard copy of the document. For example, a printer (48) coupled to the PC may print the document. Alternatively, the electronic information may be provided to a fax machine (54) designated by the ordering party. Still further, the document may be ordered by telephone and electronically delivered to a PC or fax machine designated by the ordering party.

Claims

1. A method for first party users of an open communications network to obtain counterfeit resistant documents from at least one supplier of the documents over the open communications network, the at least one supplier having a device coupled to the network and each user having a device by which the user can communicate with the at least one supplier'"'"'s device over the communications network, comprising:

a user using a user device ordering a document from the at least one supplier'"'"'s device over the open communications network;

assigning unique information to the document prior to, during or after ordering thereof,

electronically transmitting from the at least one supplier'"'"'s device at least information relating to the document and the unique information to a device designated by the user who ordered the document and from which, directly or indirectly, printing transmitted information can be effected on a medium; and

printing on the medium at least the information relating to the document and, in a machine readable form, the unique information, the printed medium constituting the ordered document.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the document is an admission ticket, and wherein the step of electronically transmitting information relating to the document comprises transmitting information relating to at least one of the event or activity to which the ticket provides admission, the date of the event or activity, the venue for the event or activity and seat information, and wherein the printing step comprises printing such information on the medium.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the document is a gift certificate, and wherein the step of electronically transmitting information relating to the document comprises transmitting information relating to the amount of the gift certificate and the name of an establishment at which the gift certificate can be redeemed, and wherein the printing step comprises printing such information on the medium.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet, the user device is a PC and the supplier device is a server.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the document is an admission ticket, and wherein the step of electronically transmitting information relating to the document comprises transmitting information relating to at least one of the event or activity to which the ticket provides admission, the date of the event or activity, the venue for the event or activity and seat information, and wherein the printing step comprises printing such information on the medium.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the document is a gift certificate, and wherein the step of electronically transmitting information relating to the document comprises transmitting information relating to the amount of the gift certificate and the name of an establishment at which the gift certificate can be redeemed, and wherein the printing step comprises printing such information on the medium.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ordering, assigning, transmitting and printing steps are effected without any requirement for a prior or existing relationship between the user and the supplier except, if appropriate, a relationship by which the user pays the supplier for the document.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the user has a credit card and including the step of the supplier charging the user'"'"'s credit card for the ordered document.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the user device comprises a telephone and the ordering step includes use of a keypad on the telephone to order the document.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the information to a fax machine designated by the user, and the printing step comprises the fax machine printing on the medium.

11. A method for first party users of the Internet to obtain counterfeit resistant admission tickets from at least one supplier of the tickets over the Internet, the at least one supplier having a device coupled to the Internet and each user having a device by which the user can communicate with the at least one supplier'"'"'s device over the Internet, comprising:

a user using a user device ordering a ticket from the at least one supplier'"'"'s device over the Internet;

assigning unique information to the ticket prior to, during or after ordering thereof,

electronically transmitting from the at least one supplier'"'"'s device at least information relating to at least one of the event or activity to which the ticket provides admission, the date of the event or activity, the venue for the event or activity and seat information, and the unique information to a device designated by the user who ordered the ticket and from which, directly or indirectly, printing transmitted information can be effected on a medium; and

printing such information on the medium, with at least the unique information being printed in a machine readable form, the printed medium constituting the ordered ticket.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each user also has a printer coupled to the user device by which the user can print information transmitted from the at least one supplier'"'"'s device over the Internet, and wherein the printing step comprises the user'"'"'s printer printing on the medium.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the ordering, assigning, transmitting and printing steps are effected without any requirement for a prior or existing relationship between the user and the supplier except, if appropriate, a relationship by which the user pays the supplier for the ordered ticket.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the user has a credit card and including the step of the supplier charging the user'"'"'s credit card for the ordered ticket.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the information to a fax machine designated by the user, and the printing step comprises the fax machine printing on the medium.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the ordering, assigning, transmitting and printing steps are effected without any requirement for a prior or existing relationship between the user and the supplier except, if appropriate, a relationship by which the user pays the supplier for the ordered ticket.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the user has a credit card and including the step of the supplier charging the user'"'"'s credit card for the ordered ticket.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the document is an admission ticket, and wherein the supplier'"'"'s device is programmed to transmit information relating to at least one of the event or activity to which the ticket provides admission, the date of the event or activity, the venue for the event or activity and seat information, and wherein the user device is capable of effecting printing of such information on the medium.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the document is a gift certificate, and wherein the supplier'"'"'s device is programmed to transmit information relating to the amount of the gift certificate and the name of an establishment at which the gift certificate can be redeemed, and wherein the user device is capable of effecting printing of such information on the medium.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the network is the Internet, the user device is a PC, the supplier device is a server and comprising a user printed coupled to the PC which prints on the medium under control of the PC.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the document is an admission ticket, and wherein the supplier'"'"'s device is programmed to transmit information relating to at least one of the event or activity to which the ticket provides admission, the date of the event or activity, the venue for the ?

16. A method for first party users of the Internet to obtain counterfeit resistant admission tickets from at least one supplier of the tickets over the Internet, the at least one supplier having a server coupled to the Internet and each user having a PC by which the user can communicate with the at least one supplier'"'"'s device over the Internet and a printer coupled to the user PC, comprising:

a user using a user PC ordering a ticket from the at least one supplier'"'"'s server over the Internet;

assigning unique information to the ticket prior to, during or after ordering thereof;

electronically transmitting from the at least one supplier'"'"'s server at least information relating to at least one of the event or activity to which the ticket provides admission, the date of the event or activity, the venue for the event or activity and seat information, and the unique information to the PC of the user who ordered the ticket; and

the user'"'"'s printer printing such information on a medium, with at least the unique information being printed in a machine readable form, the printed medium constituting the ordered ticket.

19. A system for first party users of an open communications network to obtain counterfeit resistant documents from at least one supplier of the documents over the open communications network, comprising:

a plurality of supplier devices coupled to the network;

a plurality of user devices coupled to the network by which a user can communicate with a selected supplier'"'"'s device over the network, each user also having a printer by which the user can print information received over the network from the at least one supplier'"'"'s device;

the supplier device being programmed to provide unique information to a document ordered by a user prior to, during or after ordering thereof and to electronically transmit over the network at least information relating to the document and the unique information to a device designated by the user who ordered the document in a form suitable to be printed on a medium, the user device directly or indirectly effecting printing of the document.