Computer controlled event ticket auctioning system

• US 6,704,713 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ITA Investments, LLC
• Inventors: Brett, Kenton F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bashore, Alain L.
• Application Number:
  US09/586,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/37, 705/38, 705/26, 705/5
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1809 for auctioneering devices

Abstract

An automated event ticket auctioning system receives and evaluates bid information records received from a plurality of remote terminals. The bid information records correspond to bids for one or more seats within a venue and corresponding to at least one particular event, wherein the venue has a plurality of sections, each section having a plurality of seats. The automated event ticket auctioning system includes a memory storing a plurality of previously accepted bid information records, the previously accepted bid information records each including identification information, section identification, quantity information and bid price information. The system further includes a central controlling computer operably connected to the memory. The central controlling computer is operable to first receive a message including a received bid information record from one of a plurality of remote terminals through a communication system. The received bid information record includes received identification information, received section identification, received quantity information, and received bid price information. The central controlling computer is further operable to determine a lowest minimum acceptable bid value corresponding to the received section information using the previously accepted bid information records stored in the memory, and store the received bid information record if a value represented by the received bid price information exceeds the lowest minimum acceptable bid value.

Claims

1. An automated event ticket auctioning system, the automated event ticket auctioning system receiving and evaluating bid information records received from a plurality of remote terminals, said bid information records corresponding to bids for one or more seats within a venue and corresponding to at least one particular event, said venue having a plurality of seats, the automated event ticket auctioning system comprising:

(a) a memory storing a plurality of previously accepted bid information records, said previously accepted bid information records each including identification information, quantity information, and bid price information, said memory also storing a seating database having a rank for each seat in the venue;

(b) a central controlling computer operably connected to the memory and operable to

(i) receive a message including a received bid information record from one of the plurality of remote terminals through a communication system, said received bid information record including received identification information, received quantity information, and received bid price information,

(ii) determine a lowest minimum acceptable bid value using the previously accepted bid information records stored in the memory,

(iii) store the received bid information record if a value represented by the received bid price information exceeds the lowest minimum acceptable bid value;

(iv) associate one or more particular seats having a rank with the stored received bid information record based on the received bid price information, and

(v) determine a ticket price for each of the one or more particular seats associated with the stored received bid information record based on the received bid price information.

2. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 1 wherein the central controlling computer is further operable to:

receive subsequent messages, each message including a subsequent received bid information record from one of a plurality of remote terminals through a communication system, each of said received bid information records including received identification information, received quantity information, and received bid price information;

for each subsequent message, determine a lowest minimum acceptable bid value corresponding to the subsequent message using the previously accepted bid information records stored in the memory; and

for each subsequent message, store the received bid information record if a value represented by the received bid price information exceeds the lowest minimum acceptable bid value; and

for each subsequent message, associate one or more particular seats having a rank with the stored received bid information record based on the received bid price information;

determine a ticket price for each of the one or more particular seats associated with the stored received bid information record based on the received bid price information;

determine a closing time; and

stop receiving subsequent messages after the closing time.

3. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 2 wherein the central controlling computer is further operable to make available a programmed graphical representation of the event venue seating arrangement to each of the plurality of remote terminals through a communication system, the programmed graphical representation of the event venue seating arrangement designed to convey to auction participants standing bid information across the entire event venue, allowing seat bid price locations to be qualified, by the visible location of the seat bid prices in association with the graphical representation of the event venue seating arrangement.

4. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 3 wherein the central controlling computer is further operable to execute a programmed method for ensuring contiguous grouping of seat location within each multiple-ticket bid.

5. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 4 wherein the central controlling computer is further operable to execute a programmed method for ensuring that the standing bid price information is automatically updated on a real-time basis and presented as such to all auction participants.

6. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 1 wherein the central controlling computer is further operable to display a notice at the one of the plurality of remote terminals that at least one ticket has been awarded for the received bid information record submitted from the one of the plurality of remote terminals.

7. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 1 wherein the central controlling computer is further operable to receive at least one participant preference option and associate one or more particular seats having a rank with the stored received bid information based on the at least one participant preference option.

8. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 7 wherein the at least one participant preference option includes a front row seating option.

9. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 8 wherein the at least one participant preference option includes an aisle seating option.

10. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 9 wherein the at least one participant preference option includes a section seating option.

11. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 1 wherein the bid information record further includes lock-in seating information and the central computer is operable to determine a ticket price for each of the one or more particular seats associated with the stored received bid information record based on the lock-in seating information stored in the received bid information record associated with the seat.

12. The automated event ticket auctioning system of claim 11 wherein the bid information record further includes proxy bid information and the central computer is operable to determine a ticket price for each of the one or more particular seats associated with the stored received bid information record based on the proxy bid information stored in the received bid information record associated with the seat.

13. A method of conducting an automated ticket auction by receiving bids from auction participants located at a plurality of remote terminals, the automated ticket auction for a plurality of seats within a venue and corresponding to at least one particular event, the venue having a plurality of seats, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a central computer including a seating database having a rank for each seat;

(b) receiving bid records at the central computer from the plurality of remote terminals through a communication system, the bid records including information concerning bidder identification and bid amount;

(c) determining a lowest acceptable bid amount and determining acceptable bid records based on the lowest acceptable bid amount;

(d) storing acceptable bid records in an auction database of the central computer;

(e) assigning a rank to each acceptable bid record stored in the auction database based on the bid amount;

(f) associating each acceptable bid record stored in the central computer with at least one seat in the venue based on the rank assigned to the bid record and the rank of the at least one seat; and

(g) determining a ticket price for the at least one seat in the venue based on the bid amount in the bid record associated with the at least one seat in the venue.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

(h) terminating the receipt of bid records at the central computer; and

(i) notifying, at the remote terminals, auction participants submitting acceptable bid records that they have been awarded tickets to the event at the determined ticket price.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step, between steps (f) and (g), of determining bumped bid records based on the lowest acceptable bid amount and removing bumped bid records from the auction database of the central computer.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the bid records of step (b) further include desired quantity information, and wherein the number of seats associated with each acceptable bid record in step (f) is also based upon the desired quantity information.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of identifying key seats throughout the venue and displaying on the remote terminals a graphical representation of the venue wherein the bid amounts for bid records associated with selected seats are displayed to convey to auction participants bid information across the entire venue for the particular event.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising, between steps (h) and (i), the step of executing a programmed method for ensuring contiguous grouping of seats associated with any bid record wherein the desired quantity information indicates a desired quantity of more than one seat.