SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN A NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090177776A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ticketmaster LLC (Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated)
• Inventors: Levin, Kip, Denker, Dennis, Scarborough, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Methods and systems for allocating resources, such as computer controlled resources, in a networked system are described. In an example embodiment, a plurality of requests to select one or more resources are received from distributed computer systems over a network at a receiving computer system. The receiving computer system allocates resource selection time windows to at least a portion of the requests based on one or more allocation criteria, and transmits information regarding the allocated resource selection time windows to corresponding requesting computer systems. A load balancer balances request loads among a plurality of servers. A web proxy processor is configured to selectively block or route an inbound user browser request. A cache cluster system is configured to cache data and states for access by other system components,

Claims

1. A resource allocation system, comprising:

a first network interface;

a load balancer;

a web proxy processor configured to selectively block an inbound user browser request or route an inbound user browser request to a destination server;

a cache cluster system configured to cache data and states for access by one or more system components;

a database storing information regarding a plurality of resources, including rights to select resources rankings; and

program code stored in computer readable memory, which, when executed is configured to;

receive requests from users for the right to select a resource from a pool of resources, wherein the requests are associated with corresponding rankable attributes;

rank the users'"'"' requests based at least on the corresponding rankable attributes;

allocate the ranked rights to select resources to at least a portion of the requests based at least in part on the ranking of the users'"'"' requests.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to:

receive from the first user a first indication that the first user wants to make a resource selection, wherein the first indication is associated with the first code is provided at a first time; and

determine if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection based at least in part on the first time.

4. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit a denial notification to a first requester that had been allocated at least one right to select a resource.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the denial notification is configured to indicate that the first user is not authorized to make a resource selection at the first time.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select, wherein the system is configured to transmit the first code via email.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select, wherein system is configured to transmit the first code via an instant message.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select wherein system is configured to transmit the first code via an SMS message.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit to at least one user a plurality of time windows from which to select.

10. A method of allocating computer resources:

receiving over a network at a resource allocation system requests for one or more rights to select computer resources from processor-based systems, wherein the requests are associated with corresponding rankable criteria;

ranking the requests based on the rankable criteria;

storing in computer readable memory rankings for rights to select resources;

allocating ranked rights to select resources to the requests based at least in part on the rankable criteria;

transmitting over the network information regarding the allocated rights to select to the requesting processor-based systems, the information including time windows in which requestors can perform resource selections;

receiving over the network at a first time from a first requester an indication that the first requester wants to make a resource selection;

determining if the first requester is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time;

if the first requester is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time;

enabling the first requester to select a resource;

receiving over the network a resource selection from the first requester;

removing the selected resource a pool of available resources.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein if the first requester is not authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, a denial notification is transmitted over the network to the first requester.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the denial notification informs the first requester of a time window the first requester is authorized to make a resource selection.

13. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the computer resource includes a processor resource.

14. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the computer resource includes a memory resource.

15. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the computer resources include network bandwidth.

16. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the ranked criteria relate to something of value being offered by requesters.

17. The method as defined in claim 10, the method further comprising informing the first requester of an alternate time window if a first time window allocated to the first requester has passed.

18. The method as defined in claim 10, the method further comprising transmitting to at least one requester a plurality of time windows from which to choose.

19. A method of allocating resources, the method comprising:

receiving from a first processor-based system over a network at a resource allocation system a first request from a first user for the right to select a resource from a pool of resources, wherein the first request is associated with a first rankable attribute;

receiving from a second processor-based systems over the network at the resource allocation system a second request from a second user for the right to select a resource from the pool of resources, wherein the second request is associated with a second rankable attribute;

ranking the first request and the second request using at least the first rankable attribute and the second rankable attribute;

allocating a first ranked right to select a resource from the pool of resources to the first request and a second ranked right to select a resource from the pool of resources to the second request based at least in part on the ranking of the first request and the ranking of the second request;

transmitting to the first user a communication including a first code that identifies the first ranked right to the select;

transmitting to the second user a communication including a second code that identifies the second ranked right to the select, wherein the first ranked right to select entitles the first user to make a resource pool selection before second user;

receiving over the network at a first time from the first user a first indication that the first user wants to make a resource selection, wherein the first indication is associated with the first code;

determining if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time;

if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, enabling the first user to select at least one resource from the pool of resources;

receiving over the network at a second time from the second user a second indication that the second user wants to make a resource selection, wherein the second indication is associated with the second code;

determining if the second user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time; and

if the second user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, enabling the second user to select a resource from the pool of resources.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, the method further comprising:

receiving over the network a resource selection from the first user; and

removing the selected resource the pool of resources.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, the method further comprising transmitting the selected resource to the first processor-based system over the network.

22. The method as defined in claim 20, the method further comprising transmitting a token corresponding to the selected resource to the first user.

23. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein if the first user is not authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, a denial notification is transmitted to the first user.

24. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein the denial notification informs the first user of the time window the first user is authorized to make a resource selection.

25. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the pool of resources includes the right to use a physical location.

26. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the pool of resources includes a memory resource.

27. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the first request is received as an auction submission.

28. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the first criterion relates to an item of value.

29. The method as defined in claim 19, the method further comprising informing the first user of an alternate time window if a first time window assigned to the first user has passed.

30. The method as defined in claim 19, the method further comprising transmitting to the first user a plurality of time windows from which the first user can select.

31. A resource allocation system, comprising:

a first network interface;

a database storing information regarding a plurality of resources, including rights to select resources rankings; and

program code stored in computer readable memory, which, when executed is configured to;

receive requests from users for the right to select a resource from a pool of resources, wherein the requests are associated with corresponding rankable attributes;

rank the users'"'"' requests based at least on the corresponding rankable attributes;

allocate the ranked rights to select resources to at least a portion of the requests based at least in part on the ranking of the users'"'"' requests.

32. The system as defined in claim 31, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select.

33. The system as defined in claim 32, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to:

receive from the first user a first indication that the first user wants to make a resource selection, wherein the first indication is associated with the first code is provided at a first time; and

determine if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection based at least in part on the first time.

34. The system as defined in claim 33, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit a denial notification to the first requester.

35. The system as defined in claim 34, wherein the denial notification is configured to indicate that the first user is not authorized to make a resource selection at the first time.

36. The system as defined in claim 32, wherein system is configured to transmit the first code via email.

37. The system as defined in claim 32, wherein system is configured to transmit the first code via an instant message.

38. The system as defined in claim 32, wherein system is configured to transmit the first code via an SMS message.

39. The system as defined in claim 31, wherein program code, when executed is further configured to transmit to at least one user a plurality of time windows from which to select.