Electronic ticketing and validation system and method

• US 20030105641A1
• Filed: 03/17/2000
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Woodson Lewis
• Original Assignee: Woodson Lewis
• Inventors: Lewis, Woodson C.
• Application Number:
  US09/527,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105641A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An electronic ticketing and validation system is comprised of a computer capable of accessing the Internet, a computer system capable of being accessed by the computer over the Internet, the computer system for providing a screen to the computer once the computer accesses the computer system with such screen including information relating to the selection of an event, purchasing of a ticket for the event, payment for the ticket, and generating the ticket to be used to gain entrance at the event, and a validation system for validating the ticket to allow entrance into the event. The system is also capable of issuing the ticket in electronic form, in paper form, as a smart card, or as a season pass.

Claims

1. An electronic ticketing and validation system comprising:

a computer capable of accessing the Internet;

a computer system capable of being accessed by the computer over the Internet, the computer system for providing a screen to the computer once the computer accesses the computer system with such screen including information relating to the selection of an event, purchasing of a ticket for the event, payment for the ticket, and generating the ticket to be used to gain entrance at the event; and

a validation system for validating the ticket to allow entrance into the event.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer is a handheld device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the ticket has a unique identifier code and the validation system is capable of reading the code and verifying the code to allow entrance into the event.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the unique identifier code is a universal product code.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer system is capable of sending the generated ticket to the computer for the computer to print out the ticket.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the printed ticket has a code printed thereon and the validation system is capable of reading the printed code.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the ticket is generated as a paper ticket having a magnetic strip thereon with the magnetic strip having a code encoded therein.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the validation system further comprises a magnetic card reader for reading the code in the magnetic strip.

9. An electronic ticketing and validation system comprising:

a computer capable of accessing the Internet;

a computer system capable of being accessed by the computer over the Internet, the computer system for providing a screen to the computer once the computer accesses the computer system with such screen including information relating to the selection of a season pass for an event, purchasing of the season pass, payment for the season pass, and generating the season pass to be used to gain entrance to the event; and

a validation system for validating the season pass to allow entrance into the event.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the season pass has a unique identification code associated therewith, the code being read by the validation system to verify that the season pass is valid in order to allow entrance into the event.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the validation system is connected to the computer system and the code is sent from the validation system to the computer system.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the season pass is a card having a magnetic strip thereon with the magnetic strip having a code encoded therein.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the validation system comprises a magnetic card reader for reading the code encoded in the magnetic strip of the card.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the season pass comprises a smart card having a code stored therein.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the validation system comprises a smart card reader for reading the code stored in the smart card.

16. The system of claim 9 further comprising a second validation system for validating the season pass to allow entrance into the event.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the season pass has event information printed thereon.

18. A method for selecting a ticket for an event and validating the ticket at the event comprising the steps of:

browsing a website of an event provider over the Internet;

viewing information relating to an event;

selecting the event to purchase a ticket;

paying for the ticket;

receiving the ticket; and

validating the ticket at the event to allow entrance into the event.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the viewing information step comprises determining a seat selection.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the selecting step comprises selecting a season pass to the event.