Service provision method and system employing threshold range of pricing and leveling

• US 7,926,706 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Experiential Payment Technologies Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantum Corporation of New York Incorporated (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pover, Mark, Roth, Anthony G.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US11/870,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/383, 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 705/14, 705/36, 705/69
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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

Systems and methods provide access to services. A base ticket value is determined based on a price range for a subject service. A ticket manager engine translates the price range into a ticket level. End users/ticket holders present the leveled ticket for redemption of the particular service from a participant'"'"'s service provider. Tickets are redeemable for a particular service or experience such as concerts, sports events, theatrical shows, broadway shows, family events, golf courses, movie theaters, spas, etc., each at different levels. Tickets are thus redeemed at variable rates for equivalent services. An online distributor or portal in the primary and/or secondary market may employ the ticket manager engine and ticket leveling. As a result, the distributor offers/sells leveled tickets.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to experiential services, comprising the computer implemented steps of:

using one or more processors, processing a ticket that permits use of a service offered by a plurality of providers including;

using a communications network, enabling distribution of the ticket;

determining a price range for the service offered by the plurality of providers; and

establishing an access level for the ticket based on the price range, the access level indicating which certain ones of the plurality of providers accept the leveled ticket as a provision of access to the service by the certain providers.

2. A method as in claim 1 further including the steps of:

selecting, by a ticket user, one of the certain providers; and

enabling the ticket user, using the leveled ticket at the selected provider, to obtain access to the service by the selected provider.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein using the leveled ticket at the selected provider further includes:

using a communications network, processing the leveled ticket to determine whether the leveled ticket is valid;

using the communications network, redeeming the leveled ticket if the leveled ticket is valid; and

responding to the redeeming of the leveled ticket by allowing the ticket user access to the service by the selected provider.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein processing the leveled ticket to determine whether the leveled ticket is valid further includes the step of processing the leveled ticket to determine whether the access level of the leveled ticket matches an access level assigned to the service.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein if the access level of the leveled ticket does not match the access level of the service, allowing the ticket user to upgrade the access level of the leveled ticket by:

enabling optional purchase of additional incremental level above a base ticket level on the leveled ticket; and

presenting the leveled ticket by the ticket user to the selected provider in exchange for access to the service where price debited by the selected provider is allowed to be higher than the base ticket level.

6. A method as in claim 4 wherein the communications network is any one or combination of the following:

credit card network, debit card network, or private label network.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the providers are authorized merchants that are part of the communications network, each merchant having access to the communications network to process the leveled ticket using an input/out port to a card processor of the communications network;

and

the step of processing the leveled ticket using the communications network to determine whether the access level of the leveled ticket matches the access level of the service further includes excluding any reporting to the ticket user of monetary value associated with the leveled ticket, while including reporting incremental credit information.

8. A method as in claim 2 wherein using the leveled ticket at the selected provider to enable the ticket user to obtain access to the service further includes the steps of:

redeeming the leveled ticket at a variable rate; and

in response to redemption of the leveled ticket, allowing the ticket user access to the service.

9. A method as in claim 8 wherein the variable rate is within the determined price range for the service.

10. A method as in claim 8 wherein redeeming the leveled ticket at a variable rate further includes the steps of:

debiting a price set by the selected provider for the service, wherein the price debited for the service by a portion of the providers is different from price debited by others of the providers for the same service, such that the leveled ticket is redeemed at a variable rate among the providers for the same service; and

effecting payment at the price debited by the selected provider for the service.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein any differences in prices debited by the providers for the same service are absorbed.

12. A method as in claim 8 wherein redeeming the leveled ticket at a variable rate further includes accepting the leveled ticket for one or more uses of the service by the selected provider.

13. A method as in claim 2 wherein the leveled ticket is redeemable for the service by the selected provider, as opposed to a cash value.

14. A method as in claim 2 wherein the selecting by a ticket user includes obtaining the leveled ticket by making an online reservation, wherein the online reservation enables the ticket user to reserve seats at a selected provider.

15. A method as in claim 1 wherein providers provide similar services, the similar services being any one of the following:

concerts, sports events, theatrical shows, broadway shows, family events, golf services, spa services, or movie theatre services.

16. A method as in claim 1 wherein the leveled ticket is implemented using any one or combination of a plastic card, an electronic ticket, an access code, or a pin number.

17. A method as in claim 1 wherein the distribution of the leveled ticket further includes enabling a ticket reseller to sell any of his ticket inventory as a leveled ticket.

18. A method as in claim 17 wherein the distribution of the tickets further includes aggregating tickets from a network of distributors to create the leveled ticket.

19. A method as in claim 18 wherein the network of distributors include any ticket distributors in a secondary ticket distribution market, where the secondary ticket distributes include any ticket brokers, agents online, or fans selling their tickets.

20. A method as in claim 17 wherein the ticket reseller is a ticket auction site where service providers, artists, promoters, fans or venues are provided with the option of auctioning their respective tickets, and the auction site enables auctioning their respective tickets as leveled tickets.

21. A system for providing access to experiential services comprising:

a network of ticket providers; and

an aggregation engine in communication with the network of ticket providers, the aggregation engine facilitating distribution of a leveled ticket that permits access to a service offered by the providers, the leveled ticket being redeemable at a variable rate that is within a price range for the service, the price range defining an access level for the leveled ticket, the access level indicating which certain ones of the providers accept the leveled ticket as a provision of access to the service offered by the certain providers.

22. A system as in claim 21 wherein the providers in the network of ticket providers use an auction portal to auction tickets, the aggregation engine being in communication with the auction portal to facilitate distribution of the auctioned tickets to ticket purchasers as leveled tickets.

23. A system as in claim 22 wherein the providers in the network of ticket providers includes any service providers, artists, promoters, fans or venues who use the auction site to enable distribution and sale of one or more of their respective tickets.

24. A system as in claim 21 wherein a redeem-for-services engine is in communication with one or more of the providers, the redeem-for-services engine processing the leveled ticket to determine whether the ticket is valid by determining whether the access level of the leveled ticket matches an access level assigned to the service.

25. A system as in claim 24 wherein the variable rate is within the price range for the service and the redeem-for-services engine processes the leveled ticket at a variable rate by:

debiting a price set by the provider for the service, wherein the price debited for the service by a portion of the providers is different from price debited by others of the providers for the same service, such that the leveled ticket is redeemed at a variable rate among the providers for the same service;

effecting payment at the price debited by the selected provider for the service; and

adsorbing any differences in prices debited by the providers for the same.

26. A data processing system providing access to experiential services, comprising

one or more computer processors executing nontransitory computer readable instructions configured to facilitate a user'"'"'s access to experiential services, the computer readable instructions operable to:

facilitate distribution of a ticket that permits use of a service offered by a plurality of providers;

determine a price range for the service; and

establish an access level for the ticket based on the determined price range, the access level indicating which certain ones of the providers accept the leveled ticket as a provision of access to the service by the certain providers.