Electronic ticketing system and methods utilizing multi-service visitor cards

• US 6,999,936 B2
• Filed: 04/26/1998
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard P. Sehr
• Original Assignee: Richard P. Sehr
• Inventors: Sehr, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, James W.
• Application Number:
  US09/067,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,851 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/5, 705/41, 705/69, 705/104, 705/65, 340/825.07, 380/24, 235/492, 235/384, 707/104
• US Class Current: 705/5
• 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 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3555 Personalisation of two or more cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• 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: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0873 Details of the card reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 : involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 : Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

A ticketing system and methods that encompass a plurality of entities, such as an event organizer, admission center, service providers and a visitor population, so as to automatically compile, issue, utilize and process ticketing cards for the admission to sporting events and other leisure & entertainment events. The portable, ticketing cards are realized by handheld devices, such as smart credit and/or debit card technology or pocket-size computers, and have the ability to store in the card a computerized ticket template. The cards can also store electronic credit points, or deduct from the card a monetary value or award points previously loaded into the card. Biometrics identification of cardholders, as well as cryptographic certification of card data and database information, can optionally be encoded into the cards, and can be verified and validated at various point-of-service locations upon presentation of the card for admission and for other services.

Claims

1. A portable card to be used in connection with a sporting event, the card comprising:

a memory for storing a card data including an electronic ticket valid for said sporting event in the card;

input/output means for entering into or retrieving from the card data including said electronic ticket; and

decisioning means comprising a computer program embedded into the card;

said computer program comprising a means for automatically processing, by the card, said card data including information relating to said electronic ticket.

2. The card in claim 1, wherein said portable card comprising a means for displaying including conveying by the card a functional command button for activating said decision means including manipulation of said event ticket.

3. The card in claim 1 wherein said portable card is a smart card comprising said memory including said event ticket, said input/output means, and said decision means.

4. The card in claim 1 wherein said portable card is a handheld device including a pocket-size computer comprising said decision means for processing by the card the card-based ticket.

5. The card in claim 1, further including:

means for automatically earmarking by the card said electronic ticket so as to qualify a cardholder including the card for a particular service;

means for subsequently coupling the card to a sporting event provider database;

means for uploading by the card the earmarked ticket to the database and for requesting by the card from the database rendering of said particular service; and

means for enabling by the card rendering of the requested service;

said particular service comprising access to said sporting event;

said enabling means comprising a means for automatically unlocking by the card the earmarked ticket previously stored in the card.

6. The card in claim 5 wherein said particular service further comprising a means for storing in the card a parking permit to be used for sporting event-related parking;

the means comprising;

means for coupling the card to a sporting event organizer database;

means for storing in the card a set of parking points downloaded by the database;

means for subsequently coupling the card to a parking database and for automatically uploading by the card at least a parking point to the database to pay for said sporting event-related parking; and

means for automatically cancelling by the card the card-based parking point upon uploading by the card the point to the database.

7. The card in claim 1, further including:

an instruction display window comprising a means for assisting the card user in implementing a data operation with said card data template including said event ticket valid for said sporting event;

said assisting means comprising;

means for automatically displaying onto the card said card data template available for selection;

means for automatically selecting by the card a particular card data including sporting tickets;

means for displaying onto the window a menu of operational tasks executable with the selected card data;

said displaying means comprising;

means for recommending about how to proceed with a particular data processing task; and

means for conveying the outcome the particular task would have if executed; and

means for executing a specific task and for subsequently explaining the card'"'"'s operational status derived from the execution of said specific task.

8. The card in claim 1, further comprising a sporting event data section, the data section comprising:

a ticket data relating to a particular sporting event;

means for displaying including conveying by the card a status of card-based tickets including said ticket data;

said status comprising a date and seat assignment previously issued by a seating map for the sporting event; and

means for coupling the card said sporting event data section to said seating map authorized to issue tickets;

said coupling means comprising;

means for automatically requesting by the card an updated including new ticket; and

means for storing by the card said updated ticket downloaded by the map into the card.

9. The card in claim 8, further including a means for swapping a card-based ticket between at least two cards;

comprising;

means for coupling a first multi-service card to a second multi-service card;

means for communicating by the first card said date, previously stored in the first card'"'"'s sporting ticket, to the second card;

in response to communicating the ticket, means for automatically storing by said second multi-service card the communicated sporting ticket including said date into the second card; and

means for automatically cancelling by said first multi-service card said date stored in the first card.

10. The card in claim 1, further including a payment data section;

the data section comprising;

a monetary value available via a specific payment form stored in the card; and

means for automatically displaying by the card a set of payment form related information;

the information comprising;

a maximum amount of debit/credit stored in the card and available via the payment form;

a total spending amount stored in the card and comprising the amount of debit/credit value consumed so far via the card-based payment form;

means for subsequently subtracting by the card the spending amount from said maximum amount to yield a remaining balance of value still stored in the card and available via said specific payment form; and

means for displaying including storing by the card said remaining balance as said monetary value in the card.

11. The card in claim 10 wherein said specific payment form is earmarked with a security key by a payment underwriting entity to identify a legitimate user of the form, the card comprising:

means for storing by the card the earmarked payment form including said security key in the card; and

means for subsequently automatically comparing by the card the card-based security key with a key inputted into the card; and

means for automatically unlocking by the card the card-based form for usage if the comparison is successful; and

means for preventing by the card use of the form if the inputted key does not match the key previously stored in the card;

said security key comprising a particular biometrics characteristic of said legitimate user;

said key comprising a life biometrics characteristic provided by a particular cardholder.

12. The card in claim 10, further including means for determining if said remaining balance can be used to pay for a particular sporting good or service including said electronic ticket;

comprising;

means for inputting into the card a purchase price for said particular sporting good or service including said electronic ticket; and

means for automatically comparing by the card the inputted price with said remaining balance; and

if said remaining balance is equal to or greater than said purchase price, then;

means for augmenting by the card said total spending amount by an amount equal to said purchase price;

means for subtracting by the card the augmented spending amount from said maximum amount;

means for storing by the card the difference as the new remaining balance into the card; and

means for subsequently providing by the card-based form a specific monetary amount equal to said purchase price; and

otherwise, means for increasing said remaining balance, comprising;

means for coupling the card to a remote banking database and for requesting by the card an additional payment means to provide for said purchase price;

means for accepting by the card the payment means downloaded by the remote database;

means for automatically increasing said maximum amount or decreasing said total spending amount via the downloaded payment means; and

means for automatically re-computing the corresponding remaining balance and for storing the yielding balance in the card.

13. The card in claim 12 wherein said specific monetary amount—

provided via said specific payment form to pay for the sporting good or service including the ticket—

is earmarked with a merchant key to identify a merchant intended to receive the payment, comprising;

means for earmarking by the card said specific monetary amount with said merchant key; and

means for coupling the card to said merchant'"'"'s database and for uploading by the card the earmarked payment amount to the database;

said coupling means comprising means for automatically unlocking the earmarked payment via a specific key downloaded into the card by a particular merchant; and

if successful including if said specific key matches said merchant key previously used to earmark the card-based monetary amount, then means for authorizing the card to transfer said specific monetary amount to said particular merchant; and

otherwise, means for denying payment including access to the card-based monetary amount by said particular merchant.

14. A method for automatically monitoring admission to a sporting event, comprising the steps of:

storing in a portable card a sporting ticket comprising event-related information including date of said sporting event said sporting ticket is valid for;

subsequently coupling the card to a sporting event admission database including an access control module, and uploading by the card the ticket to the control module;

verifying the uploaded ticket by the control module; and

if successful, then automatically compiling an admission stamp by the database;

downloading by the database the stamp into the card and admitting by the control module the ticket-holder to said sporting event based upon said admission stamp; and

subsequently cancelling including automatically earmarking by the card said sporting ticket with said admission stamp to prevent multiple admissions to said sporting event via the same ticket.

15. The method in claim 14 wherein said portable card is a smart card comprising database storage and data communication means, for storing in and retrieving from the card said event-related information.

16. The method in claim 14 wherein said portable card is a handheld device including a pocket-size computer comprising an embedded computer program for manipulating by the card the card-based ticket.

17. The method in claim 14, further including the step of automatically compiling by the card a particular ticket to meet a specific criteria, comprising:

loading into the card a ticketing data including said specific criteria comprising a preferred seat location or predefined ticket price;

subsequently coupling the card to a sporting event reservation database and automatically uploading by the card said ticketing data to the database;

in response thereto, automatically compiling by the database said particular ticket based upon the criteria uploaded via said ticketing data; and

downloading by the database the compiled ticket and storing the ticket into the card.

18. The method in claim 17, further including the step of compiling by the reservation database an alternate seat location or ticket price for said particular ticket, the step comprising:

communicating by the card the selected seat location to said event reservation database;

in response to uploading by the card said specific criteria, automatically determining by the database a seat that is available nearby said preferred seat location, or at a comparable price with said predefined ticket price; and

downloading by the database the determined seat and storing into the card said seat as said alternate seat location.

19. The method in claim 14 wherein said step of verifying the uploaded ticket by the control module, comprising validating a discounted ticket issued to a ticket-holder based upon a predetermined age requirement;

the step comprising;

automatically locating by said sporting event admission database a particular ticket-holder'"'"'s date of birth (DOB) previously attached to said sporting ticket stored in the card;

automatically subtracting the DOB located in and provided by the card from a date provided via the database and determining the result as being the age of said particular ticket-holder; and

comparing the resulting age against said predetermined age requirement previously stored in the database; and

if there is a compliance, then allowing said discounted ticket to be used by said particular ticket-holder; and

otherwise, conveying a message that said discounted ticket shouldn'"'"'t be used by the holder, because said particular ticket-holder is not said ticket-holder.

20. The method in claim 14 wherein the step of verifying the ticket uploaded to the database comprising the step of preventing the use of multiple tickets for the same seat, comprising:

comparing by the card a specific seat assignment, previously included in said admission ticket, with a database list of tickets admitted so far; and

if the specific seat matches a ticket from said database list, then conveying by the card a message about more than one ticket being presented with the same seat assignment; and

otherwise, updating by the database said database list to indicate that a ticket with said specific seat assignment has been used for admission.

21. The method in claim 20 wherein the step of updating said database list comprising:

communicating by the card said specific seat assignment to a seating map display installed at a stadium said sporting event takes place; and

marking onto the map the status of seats as they are filled-up;

said marking step comprising conveying including displaying the cumulative number of ticket-holders admitted so far.

22. The method in claim 14, further including the step of authorizing via the card-based ticket a ticket-holder to exit from, and re-enter, said sporting event for free;

comprising;

subsequently coupling the card to a sporting event exit database including an exit control module, so as to temporarily leave said sporting event;

compiling and downloading by the exit database an exit stamp into the card;

further earmarking by the control module said admission ticket with said exit stamp to allow re-entry within a predetermined time period;

subsequently coupling the card to said sporting event admission database including said access control module and uploading by the card said exit stamp to the admission database; and

verifying by the admission database said exit-stamp uploaded by the card; and

if successful, then permitting re-entry of said ticket-holder via said admission ticket including said exit stamp; and

otherwise, denying free admission for said ticket-holder.

23. The method in claim 14, further including the step of using a global positioning means, within the premises said sporting event takes place, to direct cardholders to their seats;

comprising;

displaying a seating map comprising a particular seat location retrieved from said admission ticket previously stored in the card;

coupling the card to said global positioning means and determining by the positioning means a position of the cardholder within said premises at a specific moment;

displaying said position onto the card;

conveying including displaying onto the card directions about how to proceed from said position to said particular seat location; and

compiling and displaying onto the card a dynamic track of the consecutive positions taken-up by the cardholder proceeding toward the seat.