ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF ADMISSION TICKETS DIRECT TO A PURCHASER

• US 20090255989A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oncard Marketing Incorporated (Neptune Retail Solutions)
• Original Assignee: CIAS Incorporated
• Inventors: FRANK, Leonard, Storch, Leonard
• Granted Patent: US 8,201,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

Electronic delivery of counterfeit-resistant documents exchangeable for value such as admission tickets, gift certificates, coupons, vouchers, etc. directly to the person who ordered the documents over an open communications network such at the Internet. A first party orders a document from a second party, and the second party electronically delivers the ordered, counterfeit-resistant document to a device designated by the first party. For example, the document may be electronically ordered using a PC, and a printer coupled to the PC may print the document. In one embodiment, the first party transmits unsolicited offers over the open communications network The document may be made counterfeit resistant by assigning unique information to each document of a given type, e.g., admission tickets, and checking the uniqueness of a document and whether the unique information was previously read prior to allowing it to be exchanged for value.

Claims

1. A system by which counterfeit resistant documents are made available over an open communications network, and for validating such documents, comprising:

at least one supplier computer programmed to provide unique information for a document and to electronically transmit over the network at least information relating to the document and the unique information, the transmitted information related to the document and the unique information being capable of being printed on a medium suitable for functioning as the document;

means for machine reading from a document with the information relating to the document and the unique information at least the unique information; and

a computer programmed to determine at least from the machine-read unique information substantially in real time after the machine reading whether the machine-read unique information (a) is valid and (b) had been previously read for use.

4. The system of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the network comprises the Internet, and wherein the at least one supplier computer provides a web site from which the information relating to the document and the unique information is provided for transmission over the Internet.

5. The system of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the document comprises an admission ticket, and wherein the information relating to the document comprises information relating to at least the event or activity to which the ticket provides admission, the date of the event or activity, and the venue for the event or activity.

6. The system of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the document comprises a gift certificate, and wherein the information relating to the document comprises the amount of the gift certificate and the name of an establishment at which the gift certificate can be redeemed.

2. A system by which counterfeit resistant documents are made available over an open communications network, comprising:

at least one supplier computer programmed to;

transmit over the network an unsolicited offer of at least one counterfeit resistant document;

provide unique information to be associated with the at least one document; and

electronically transmit over the network at least information relating to the at least one document and the unique information, the transmitted information relating to the at least one document and the unique information being capable of being printed on a medium suitable for functioning as the at least one document.

means for machine reading from a document with the information relating to the at least one document and the unique information at least the unique information; and

a computer programmed to determine at least from the machine-read unique information whether the machine-read unique information (a) is valid and (b) had been previously read for use.

3. A system by which counterfeit resistant documents are made available over an open communications network, the system comprising:

a supplier computer programmed to;

transmit an unsolicited offer over the network of at least one counterfeit resistant document;

provide unique information for assignment to the at least one document;

electronically transmit over the network at least information relating to the document and the unique information, the transmitted information related to the document and the unique information being capable of being printed on a medium suitable for functioning as the document.