System and method for wirelessly transacting access to a set of events and associated digital content/products

• US 20040002904A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Russell William, Suryanarayana, Lalitha, Stuckman, Bruce Edward, Grannan, Michael, Deas, David A., Muhamed, Rias, Wolter, David Randall
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing

Abstract

One or more content providers push data related to: movies, movie products, digital movie content over a network (e.g., a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, or a wireless network) onto an information filling station which, in turn, wirelessly transacts (over a network based on the 802.11b protocol) and transmits any requested data to a portable computer-based device (e.g., laptop, a pen-based computer device, a PDA, a wireless phone, or a pager). The portable device performs financial transactions for: purchasing movie tickets (directly or via auctions), downloading digital entertainment content of interest (e.g., copy of a movie of interest, copy of a movie identified based on a prestored profile, copy of soundtrack of a movie of interest), or movie related products. Any purchased digital content is either transferred wirelessly onto the portable device or, optionally, sent on a storage medium to a physical address associated with the profile.

Claims

1. A business method for wirelessly transmitting requested information and digital data content related to one or more events from an information filling station (IFS) to a portable computer-based device, said transmission based upon a wireless protocol, said business method as implemented in said IFS comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a request, from said portable device, for information related to one or more events scheduled at one or more venues of interest;

b. transmitting said requested information to said portable device;

c. receiving, from said portable device, at least one identified venue of interest and at least one identified event of interest in said identified venue of interest;

d. transmitting, to said portable device, available pricing and auction information regarding the availability of tickets for said identified event of interest;

e. transmitting, to said portable device, one or more advertisements indicating availability and pricing of;

digital content related to said identified event of interest, digital content related to one or more additional events identified based upon a profile of the user of said portable device, or event related products;

f. receiving, from said portable device, an identification indicating digital content of interest, event related products of interest, and tickets of interest;

g. facilitating a financial transaction based upon said received identification in step f;

h. upon successful completion of said financial transaction, transmitting, to said portable device, a purchase confirmation with instructions for collecting said tickets of interest; and

i. delivering said identified digital content of interest and said event related products of interest.

2. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said IFS receives said digital content from one or more content providers, said content providers communicating with said IFS via a network that is any of the following:

a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless network, a telephony-based network, or the Internet.

3. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said wireless protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11b standard.

4. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said portable device is any of the following:

a laptop, a pen-based computer, a PDA, a wireless phone with a display, or a pager with a display.

5. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said IFS is located at a remote location from said identified venue of interest.

6. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said identified digital content of interest and/or said event related product of interest are delivered on a storage medium to a physical address.

7. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said identified digital content of interest is wirelessly delivered to said portable device.

8. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said information related to one or more events is any of, or a combination of, the following:

previews, reviews, showtimes, direct ticket availability, auction-based ticket availability, prices, food availability/price, comments by event creators/producers/directors, or text of dialogue related to said events.

9. A business method as per claim 8, wherein said reviews are any of, or a combination of, the following:

text reviews, audio reviews, or video reviews.

10. A business method as per claim 8, wherein said business method further comprises the steps of:

a. placing a food order for pick-up or delivery at said identified venue of interest; and

b. including a cost associated with said food order in said financial transaction.

11. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said digital content related to said event of interest is any of the following:

copy of said event of interest or copy of a soundtrack of said event of interest.

12. A business method as per claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of receiving feedback related to said event of interest or digital content of interest.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein aiding in a wireless interaction between an information filling station (IFS) and a portable device, said interaction facilitating transfer of requested information and digital data content related to one or more events, said medium further comprising:

a. computer readable program code receiving a request, from said portable device, for information related to one or more events scheduled at one or more venues of interest;

b. computer readable program code extracting said requested information and aiding in the transmission of said requested information to said portable device;

c. computer readable program code receiving, from said portable device, at least one identified venue of interest and at least one identified event of interest in said identified venue of interest;

d. computer readable program code extracting available pricing and auction information regarding the availability of tickets for said identified event of interest and aiding in the transmission of said extracted pricing and auction information;

e. computer readable program code identifying and aiding in transmission, to said portable device, of one or more advertisements indicating availability and pricing of;

digital content related to said identified event of interest, digital content related to one or more additional events identified based upon a profile of the user of said portable device, or event related products;

f. computer readable program code receiving, from said portable device, an identification indicating digital content of interest, event related products of interest, and tickets of interest;

g. computer readable program code facilitating a financial transaction based upon said received identification in step f;

h. upon successful completion of said financial transaction, computer readable program code aiding in the transmission, to said portable device, of a purchase confirmation with instructions for collecting said tickets of interest; and

i. said computer readable program code facilitating the delivery of said identified digital content of interest and said event related products of interest.

14. An article of manufacture as per claim 13, wherein said wireless interaction is based upon the IEEE 802.11b standard.

15. A method for wirelessly transmitting requested information and digital data content related to movies from an information filling station (IFS) to a portable computer-based device, said transmission based upon a wireless protocol, said method as implemented in said IFS comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a request, from said portable device, for information related to movies playing at one or more theaters of interest;

b. transmitting said requested information to said portable device;

c. receiving, from said portable device, at least one identified theater of interest and at least one identified movie of interest in said theater of interest;

d. transmitting, to said portable device, available pricing and auction information regarding the availability of tickets for said identified movie of interest;

e. transmitting, to said portable device, one or more advertisements indicating availability and pricing of;

digital content related to said identified movie of interest, digital content related to one or more movies identified based upon a profile of the user of said portable device, or movie related products;

f. receiving, from said portable device, an identification indicating digital content of interest, movie related products of interest, and tickets of interest;

g. facilitating a financial transaction based upon said received identification in step f;

h. upon successful completion of said financial transaction, transmitting, to said portable device, a purchase confirmation with instructions for collecting said tickets of interest; and

i. delivering said identified digital content of interest and said movie related products of interest.

16. A method as per claim 15, wherein said IFS receives said digital data content from one or more content providers, said content providers communicating with said IFS via a network that is any of the following:

a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless network, a telephony-based network, or the Internet.

17. A method as per claim 15, wherein said wireless protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11b standard.

18. A method as per claim 15, wherein said portable device is any of the following:

a laptop, a pen-based computer, a PDA, a wireless phone with a display, or a pager with a display.

19. A method as per claim 15, wherein said IFS is located at a remote location from said identified venue of interest.

20. A method as per claim 15, wherein said identified digital content of interest and/or said movie related products of interest are delivered on a storage medium to a physical address.

21. A method as per claim 15, wherein said identified digital content of interest is wirelessly delivered to said portable device.

22. A method as per claim 15, wherein said information related to one or more movies is any of, or a combination of, the following:

movie previews, movie reviews, movie showtimes, direct ticket availability, auction-based ticket availability, movie ticket prices, food availability/prices, comments by movie creators/producers/directors, or text of dialogue related to said movies.

23. A method as per claim 22 wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

a. placing a food order for pick-up or delivery at said identified theater of interest; and

b. including a cost associated with said food/snack order in said financial transaction.

24. A method as per claim 15, wherein said digital content related to said movies of interest is any of the following:

copy of said movie of interest or copy of a soundtrack of said movie of interest.

25. A method as per claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the step of receiving feedback related to said movie of interest or digital content of interest.

26. A method for wirelessly receiving information and digital data content related to movies from an information filling station (IFS) onto a portable device, said method as implemented in the portable device comprising the steps of:

a. receiving from said IFS and based upon an request, information related to movies playing at one or more theaters of interest;

b. identifying, based upon said rendered information, at least one theater of interest and at least one movie of interest in said theater of interest;

c. transmitting, to said IFS, said identified information;

d. receiving, from said IFS, available pricing and auction information regarding the availability of tickets for the identified movie(s) of interest;

e. receiving, from said IFS, one or more advertisements indicating availability and pricing of;

digital content related to the identified movie(s) of interest, digital content related to one or more movie identified based upon a profile of the user of the portable device, or one or more movie related products;

f. rendering said one or more advertisements;

g. identifying, based upon said rendered advertisements and based upon an input in the portable device, tickets of interest, digital content and/or movie related products of interest;

h. performing a financial transaction with said IFS, said transaction based upon said received pricing and auction information and said identified digital content of interest;

i. upon successful completion of said financial transaction, receiving from said IFS, a purchase confirmation with instructions for collecting said tickets of interest; and

j. receiving any identified digital content of interest and/or movie related products of interest.

27. A method as per claim 26, wherein said wireless protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11b standard.

28. A method as per claim 26, wherein said IFS is located at a remote location from said identified theatre of interest.

29. A method as per claim 26, wherein said identified digital content of interest and/or movie related products are delivered on a storage medium to a physical address.

30. A method as per claim 26, wherein said identified digital content of interest is wirelessly delivered to said portable device.