Systems and methods for providing match-up player's ticket features

• US 20080004930A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sportware LLC
• Original Assignee: Sharad A. Ghosh
• Inventors: Ghosh, Sharad A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,762,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Ticketing systems and methods are provided specifically relating to a player'"'"'s ticket and a player'"'"'s ticket option. One type of player'"'"'s ticket references at least one player and allows the player'"'"'s ticket holder to attend all sporting events played in by the at least one player referenced on the player'"'"'s ticket. Another type of player'"'"'s ticket references at least one player and at least one potential opponent and allows the ticket holder to attend all sporting events played between the at least one player and at least one opponent. A player'"'"'s ticket option references at least one player and at least one potential opponent and allows the player'"'"'s ticket option holder to exercise the option to obtain a player'"'"'s ticket that allows attending all sporting events played between the at least one player and the at least one potential opponent referenced on the player'"'"'s ticket option.

Claims

1. A method for providing player'"'"'s tickets and determining event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets, the method comprising:

providing player'"'"'s tickets that;

(a) reference at least one player, and (b) allow player'"'"'s ticket holders admission to an event in which the at least one playing is playing, wherein at least one of the player'"'"'s tickets references at least one player and at least one potential opponent and allows the player'"'"'s ticket holder admission to an event in which the at least one playing is playing the at least one potential opponent;

receiving information about a tournament, the information selected from the group consisting of players in the tournament, a tournament draw, and historical data;

calculating, for at least one match of the tournament, probabilities of players winning based on the received information;

determining at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets based on the number of player'"'"'s tickets provided and the tournament draw; and

allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match based on the at least one possible allocation of event admissions and the calculated probabilities of players winning the at least one match.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating the probability of the at least one player playing the at least one potential opponent in the at least one match.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating probabilities of players winning further comprises calculating probabilities of players winning the at least one match of the tournament independent of the players'"'"' identities.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating probabilities of players winning further comprises calculating probabilities of players winning the at least one match of the tournament based on attributes of the players.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the attributes of the players is the players'"'"' skill levels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one possible allocation of event admissions further comprises determining the likelihood that the at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets will accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets comprises allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match based on the likelihood that the at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets will accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating event admissions for ordinary tickets from the event admissions originally allocated for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match if event admissions for originally allocated player'"'"'s tickets exceed what is required to accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating event admissions for new player'"'"'s tickets from the event admissions originally allocated for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match if event admissions for originally allocated player'"'"'s tickets exceed what is required to accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing player'"'"'s tickets further comprises providing player'"'"'s tickets that reference at least one round indication.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one match corresponds to the at least one round indication.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing admission to the at least one match to the player'"'"'s ticket holder.

13. A system for providing player'"'"'s tickets and determining event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets, comprising a server at which a ticketing application has been implemented to configure the server to:

provide player'"'"'s tickets that;

(a) reference at least one player, and (b) allow player'"'"'s ticket holders admission to an event in which the at least one playing is playing, wherein at least one of the player'"'"'s tickets references at least one player and at least one potential opponent and allows the player'"'"'s ticket holder admission to an event in which the at least one playing is playing the at least one potential opponent;

receive information about a tournament, the information selected from the group consisting of players in the tournament, a tournament draw, and historical data;

calculate, for at least one match of the tournament, probabilities of players winning based on the received information;

determine at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets based on the number of player'"'"'s tickets provided and the tournament draw; and

allocate event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match based on the at least one possible allocation of event admissions and the calculated probabilities of players winning the at least one match.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to calculate the probability of the at least one player playing the at least one potential opponent in the at least one match.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to calculate probabilities of players winning the at least one match of the tournament independent of the players'"'"' identities.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to calculate probabilities of players winning the at least one match of the tournament based on attributes of the players.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein one of the attributes of the players is the players'"'"' skill levels.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the ticketing application is further configured to determine the likelihood that the at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets will accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the ticketing application is further configured to allocate event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match based on the likelihood that the at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets will accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the ticketing application is further configured to allocate event admissions for ordinary tickets from the event admissions originally allocated for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match if event admissions for originally allocated player'"'"'s tickets exceed what is required to accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the ticketing application is further configured to allocate event admissions for new player'"'"'s tickets from the event admissions originally allocated for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match if event admissions for originally allocated player'"'"'s tickets exceed what is required to accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the ticketing application is further configured to provide player'"'"'s tickets that reference at least one round indication.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one match corresponds to the at least one round indication.

24. The system of claim 13 further comprising providing admission to the at least one match to the player'"'"'s ticket holder.

25. A machine-readable storage medium encoded with a set of machine executable instructions for using a server to perform a method for providing player'"'"'s tickets and determining event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets, comprising:

providing player'"'"'s tickets that;

(a) reference at least one player, and (b) allow player'"'"'s ticket holders admission to an event in which the at least one playing is playing, wherein at least one of the player'"'"'s tickets references at least one player and at least one potential opponent and allows the player'"'"'s ticket holder admission to an event in which the at least one playing is playing the at least one potential opponent;

receiving information about a tournament, the information selected from the group consisting of players in the tournament, a tournament draw, and historical data;

calculating, for at least one match of the tournament, probabilities of players winning based on the received information;

determining at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets based on the number of player'"'"'s tickets provided and the tournament draw; and

allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match based on the at least one possible allocation of event admissions and the calculated probabilities of players winning the at least one match.

26. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25 further comprising calculating the probability of the at least one player playing the at least one potential opponent in the at least one match.

27. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein calculating probabilities of players winning further comprises calculating probabilities of players winning the at least one match of the tournament independent of the players'"'"' identities.

28. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein calculating probabilities of players winning further comprises calculating probabilities of players winning the at least one match of the tournament based on attributes of the players.

29. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein one of the attributes of the players is the players'"'"' skill levels.

30. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein determining at least one possible allocation of event admissions further comprises determining the likelihood that the at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets will accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

31. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets comprises allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match based on the likelihood that the at least one possible allocation of event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets will accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

32. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising allocating event admissions for ordinary tickets from the event admissions originally allocated for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match if event admissions for originally allocated player'"'"'s tickets exceed what is required to accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

33. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising allocating event admissions for new player'"'"'s tickets from the event admissions originally allocated for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match if event admissions for originally allocated player'"'"'s tickets exceed what is required to accommodate all player'"'"'s ticket holders.

34. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein providing player'"'"'s tickets further comprises providing player'"'"'s tickets that reference at least one round indication.

35. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one match corresponds to the at least one round indication.

36. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 25 further comprising providing admission to the at least one match to the player'"'"'s ticket holder.