Time delimited multiple admission method and system

• US 20080011829A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experiential Payment Technologies Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantum Corporation of New York Incorporated (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Roth, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a provision of access to services. A time delimited, multiple use ticket/admissions card is provided that controls admission to services offered by participating service providers. The ticket/admissions card is issued to a ticket holder, and the card is valid for a certain amount of uses, where each use should be completed during a certain period of time. The first use of the card, for example, should be completed within a first time period, and if the first use is not completed during this first time period, then the first use expires; the second use of the card should be completed within a second time period, and if the second use is not completed during this second time period, then the second use expires. In this way, the ticket/admissions card provides a time delimited, multiple use scheme to control allowed admittance to authorized services.

Claims

1. A method of providing a provision of access to services, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a ticket that enables use of services offered by one or more service providers during prespecified use periods by;

defining a first use period enabling a ticket holder to use the ticket during the first use period in exchange for admission to services offered by one or more of the service providers; and

defining a second use period enabling the ticket holder to use the ticket during the second use period in exchange for admission to services offered by one or more of the service providers, where the second use period is different from the first use period; and

(b) enabling at least one of the service providers to process the ticket upon remittance by a ticket holder during a use period by admitting the ticket holder to a user-selected service at that time and by redeeming a value set by the service provider for the selected service.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the second use period is different from the first use period further includes setting the second use period so that the second use period commences on or after the expiration of the first use period.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the step of providing a ticket that enables use of services offered by one or more service providers during pre-specified use periods further includes the step of defining a third use period enabling a ticket holder to use the ticket during the third use period in exchange for admission to services offered by one or more of the service providers, where the first, second and third use periods are different, and the third use period commences on or after the expiration of the second use period.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the first, second and third periods have respective time intervals that are equivalent in length.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein defining a first use period enabling a ticket holder to use the ticket during the first use period in exchange for admission to services offered by one or more of the service providers further includes the steps of:

authorizing a right to use the ticket in exchange for admission to one of the services at least once during the first use period; and

causing, after the end of the one use, the first use period to expire.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein causing, after the end of the one use, the first use period to expire further includes preventing admission to one of the services using the ticket during a remainder of the first use period.

7. A method as in claim 5 wherein the ticket provider who issues the ticket receives value for the ticket holder'"'"'s failure to use the ticket within the first use period, while the service providers do not receive value for the ticket holder'"'"'s failure to use the ticket within the first use period.

8. A method as in claim 1 further including the step of responding to a selection, by the ticket holder, of services offered by one of the service providers by:

using a communications network, processing the ticket to determine whether the ticket is valid; and

using the communications network, redeeming the ticket if the ticket is valid.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein using the communications network, redeeming the ticket if the ticket is valid further includes the step of responding to the redeeming of the ticket by allowing the ticket holder access to the selected service.

10. A method as in claim 8 wherein using the communications network, processing the ticket to determine whether the ticket is valid further includes the steps of:

determining a desired use period based on a time period in which the ticket holder intends to use the ticket for admission to the selected service;

comparing the ticket holder'"'"'s desired use period with the pre-specified use periods; and

if the ticket holder'"'"'s desired use period is within one of the pre-specified use periods, determining that the ticket is valid.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein determining a desired use period further includes the step of enabling the ticket holder to make a reservation for use of the selected services for the desired use period.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein enabling the user to make a reservation for use of the selected service during the desired use period further includes accessing, by the ticket holder, an online reservation system to create the reservation.

13. A method as in claim 10 wherein if the ticket holder'"'"'s desired use period is not within one of the pre-specified use periods, allowing the ticket holder to upgrade the ticket:

enabling optional purchase of additional incremental value above a base ticket value of the ticket; and

presenting the ticket by the ticket holder to the one service provider in exchange for use of the selected services where the price debited by the one service provider being higher than the base ticket value.

14. A method as in claim 8 wherein the communications network is one or more of the following:

credit card network, debit card network, or private label network.

15. A method as in claim 8 wherein the service providers are authorized merchants that are part of the communications network, each merchant having access to the communications network to process the ticket using an input/out port to a card processor of the communications network;

and

the step of using the communications network, processing the ticket further including excluding any reporting of monetary value associated with the ticket, while providing reporting incremental credit information.

16. A method as in claim 8 wherein redeeming the ticket if the ticket is valid further includes the steps of:

redeeming the ticket at a variable rate; and

in response to the redemption of the ticket, allowing the ticket holder access to the selected service.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein redeeming the ticket at a variable rate further includes the steps of:

debiting a price set by the one service provider for the selected service, wherein the price debited for the service by a portion of the service providers is different from price debited by other service providers for the same service, such that the ticket is redeemed at a variable rate among the service providers for the same service; and

effecting payment at the price debited for the selected service.

18. A method as in claim 17 wherein any differences in prices debited by the service providers for substantially the same services are absorbed.

19. A method as in claim 16 wherein redeeming the ticket at a variable rate further includes accepting the ticket for a single use of the selected service.

20. A method as in claim 16 wherein redeeming the ticket at a variable rate further includes accepting the ticket for multiple uses of the selected service.

21. A method as in claim 8 wherein the ticket is redeemable for the selected service from the one service provider, as opposed to a cash value.

22. A method as in claim 1 wherein the service providers provide similar services.

23. A method as in claim 22 wherein the similar services are one of the following:

golf services, spa services, or movie theatre services.

24. A method as in claim 1 wherein the ticket is implemented using a card, using an electronic ticket, or using an access code.

25. A method as in claim 1 wherein the ticket has a unique identifier, and upon purchase of the ticket, activating the ticket by a seller thereof, the step of activating including validation of the unique identifier of the ticket.

26. A method as in claim 1 further including the steps of absorbing any differences in prices debited by the service providers for the same service, and optionally adjusting price of the ticket redeemable for the service.

27. A method as in claim 8 wherein the ticket is redeemable for the selected service from the one service provider, as opposed to a cash value.

28. A method as in claim 1 wherein based on the defined use period, the ticket is valid for redemption for a limited period of time after activation and further comprising the additional step of the service provider verifying an expiration date of the defined use period of the ticket.

29. A system for providing a provision of access to services comprising:

a processor, in communication with a processing network, the processor processing a ticket at a variable rate that is used within two or more use periods; and

the ticket having two or more use periods defining time intervals in which the ticket is useable as a provision of access to services offered by a set of service providers.