Apparatus and methods for providing queue messaging over a network

• US 20070055554A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ticketmaster (Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated)
• Inventors: Denker, Dennis, Sussman, Adam, Bennett, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for processing queue data and for providing queue messaging over a network. An illustrative queuing system includes a first queue configured to hold resource requests from a plurality of users, and program code stored in computer readable memory configured to determine or estimate whether a resource requested by a first resource request submitted by a first requester will be available when the first resource request will be serviced, and to transmit a message over a network to the first requester indicating that the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced if it is estimated or determined that the requested resource will not be available when the first request is serviced.

Claims

1. A method of providing queue messaging to resource requesters, the method comprising:

determining or estimating a position in a queue of a resource request associated with a first requester;

determining or estimating whether the requested resource will be available when the queued request is serviced; and

if it is estimated or determined that the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced, transmitting a message over a network to the first requester indicating that the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising automatically identifying to the first requester a potential alternate resource at least partly in response to determining or estimating the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising using filtering to automatically identify an alternate resource that may be acceptable to the first requester at least partly in response to determining or estimating the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising transmitting to the requester an estimated time period related to when the resource request will be serviced.

5. An queuing system comprising:

a first queue configured to hold resource requests from a plurality of users;

program code stored in computer readable memory configured;

to determine or estimate whether a resource requested by a first resource request submitted by a first requester will be available when the first resource request will be serviced; and

to transmit a message over a network to the first requester indicating that the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced if it is estimated or determined that the requested resource will not be available when the first request is serviced.

6. The system as defined in claim 5, the system further comprising program code stored in computer readable memory configured to automatically identify to the first requester a potential alternate resource at least partly in response to determining or estimating the requested resource will not be available when the first request is serviced.

7. The system as defined in claim 5, the system further comprising program code stored in computer readable memory configured to automatically identify an alternate resource that may be acceptable to the first requester at least partly in response to determining or estimating the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced.

8. The system as defined in claim 5, the system further comprising program code stored in computer readable memory configured to transmit to the requester an estimated time period related to when the resource request will be serviced.