SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A PLAYER'S TICKET

• US 20100099488A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sportware LLC
• Original Assignee: Sharad A. Ghosh
• Inventors: Ghosh, Sharad A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,850,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

Ticketing systems and methods are provided specifically relating to a player'"'"'s ticket. A 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. Information about a tournament, including the players, the tournament draw, and historical data, is acquired and used to determine the probabilities of players winning matches in the tournament. Different possible allocations of admissions (e.g., seats) for player'"'"'s tickets to matches of the tournament are determined based on the tournament draw and how many player'"'"'s tickets are provided for the matches. One of the allocations of seats of the possible allocations is chosen based on the probabilities of players winning matches in the tournament which aids in determining the likelihood of accommodating all player'"'"'s ticket holders for each match.

Claims

1-86. -86. (canceled)

87. A method for providing player'"'"'s tickets comprising:

receiving, using a player'"'"'s ticketing server, a request for a player'"'"'s ticket, wherein the received request comprises an indication of at least one player and an indication of at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing;

in response to receiving the request, providing, using the player'"'"'s ticketing server, a player'"'"'s ticket that permits entry to at least one match of the at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing; and

allocating event admissions for the player'"'"'s ticket for the at least one match of the at least one tournament, wherein allocating event admissions for the player'"'"'s ticket comprises determining the probability distributions for accommodating the player'"'"'s ticket holder.

88. The method of claim 87 wherein the player'"'"'s ticket permits entry to the at least one match of the at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing.

89. The method of claim 87 wherein the request comprises a round indication and the player'"'"'s ticket permits entry only to matches of the at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing that are associated with the round indication.

90. The method of claim 87 wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request in advance of the start of the at least one match of the at least one tournament.

91. The method of claim 87 further comprising allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match of the at least one tournament, wherein allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets comprises determining the probability of the at least one player winning at least one match of the at least one tournament.

92. The method of claim 87 further comprising allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match of the at least one tournament, wherein allocating event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets comprises determining the profitability of the player'"'"'s tickets, wherein determining the profitability comprises maximizing a total profit measure.

93. The method of claim 87 further comprising determining a price for the provided player'"'"'s ticket, the price based at least in part on the profitability of the player'"'"'s ticket.

94. The method of claim 87 further comprising determining a price for the provided player'"'"'s ticket, wherein determining a price for the provided player'"'"'s ticket comprises determining, based at least in part on historical data, the number of matches the at least one player is expected or projected to play in the at least one tournament.

95. The method of claim 87 further comprising:

determining if there exists a shortfall or an excess of seats for player'"'"'s tickets for a particular match of the more than one match; and

in response to determining that there exists a shortfall or an excess of seats, implementing a mitigation technique to manage the shortfall or the excess of seats, wherein the mitigation technique is selected from the group consisting of;

selling the excess of seats as ordinary tickets, repackaging the excess of seats as part of new player'"'"'s tickets, re-allocating unsold tickets for player'"'"'s tickets, and buying back unsold ordinary tickets and reallocating the unsold ordinary tickets as player'"'"'s tickets.

96. 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:

receive a request for a player'"'"'s ticket, wherein the received request comprises an indication of at least one player and an indication of at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing;

in response to receiving the request, provide a player'"'"'s ticket that permits entry to at least one match of the at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing; and

allocate event admissions for the player'"'"'s ticket for the at least one match of the at least one tournament, wherein allocating event admissions for the player'"'"'s ticket comprises determining the probability distributions for accommodating the player'"'"'s ticket holder.

97. The system of claim 96 wherein the player'"'"'s ticket permits entry to the at least one match of the at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing.

98. The system of claim 96 wherein the request comprises a round indication and the player'"'"'s ticket permits entry only to matches of the at least one tournament in which the at least one player is playing that are associated with the round indication.

99. The system of claim 96 wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request in advance of the start of the at least one match of the at least one tournament.

100. The system of claim 96 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to allocate event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match of the at least one tournament by determining the probability of the at least one player winning at least one match of the at least one tournament.

101. The system of claim 96 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to allocate event admissions for player'"'"'s tickets for the at least one match of the at least one tournament by determining the profitability of the player'"'"'s tickets.

102. The system of claim 96 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to determine a price for the provided player'"'"'s ticket, the price based at least in part on the profitability of the player'"'"'s ticket.

103. The system of claim 96 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to determine a price for the provided player'"'"'s ticket based at least in part on historical data, the number of matches the at least one player is expected or projected to play in the at least one tournament.

104. The system of claim 96 wherein the ticketing application is further configured to:

determine if there exists a shortfall or an excess of seats for player'"'"'s tickets for a particular match of the more than one match; and

in response to determining that there exists a shortfall or an excess of seats, implement a mitigation technique to manage the shortfall or the excess of seats, wherein the mitigation technique is selected from the group consisting of;

selling the excess of seats as ordinary tickets, repackaging the excess of seats as part of new player'"'"'s tickets, re-allocating unsold tickets for player'"'"'s tickets, and buying back unsold ordinary tickets and reallocating the unsold ordinary tickets as player'"'"'s tickets.