Event and services inventory management system

• US 8,175,926 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deem, Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Original Assignee: Rearden Commerce Inc
• Inventors: Handel, Sean, Sandoval, Gabriel, Orttung, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Gort, Elaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US11/395,883
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method and system are described for event and service inventory management. One embodiment comprises: in response to a user request for tickets to an event, searching a database for available tickets of a set of tickets purchased prior in time; displaying to a user information about booked but unused tickets; and, in response to identifying unused tickets, allowing the user to book the available event tickets, without the user having received separate authorization to obtain tickets to the event.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

in response to a request of a user employed by an organization for tickets to an event, searching, via a computing device, a database for available tickets of a set of tickets purchased prior in time by a procuring organization;

displaying, via the computing device, to the user information about the available tickets;

in response to identifying the available tickets, allowing, via the computing device, the user employed by the organization to book the available tickets, the allowing comprising determining that a usage value of the available tickets internal to the organization is equal to or greater than a monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization, the usage value internal to the organization being calculated based at least in part on classification of a guest to accompany the user in use of the available tickets;

when there are no available tickets, authorizing the user to purchase new tickets; and

when the monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization is greater than the usage value internal to the organization, offloading the available tickets on an open market external to the organization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching is conducted by one or more of date or event type.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the searching is performed on a database stored remotely to a system receiving the request for the available tickets.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising authorizing the user to purchase the available tickets to the event in response to the available tickets failing to meet a specified criteria.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising authorizing the user to purchase the available tickets to the event in response to the user being of a predetermined classification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is associated with the procuring organization.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization is based on an algorithm that takes into account at least one or more of an original price of the available tickets, a rate at which the event sold out, a current availability of tickets on primary and secondary markets, or a number of other users requesting related tickets.

7. The method of 1, wherein the usage value internal to the organization is calculated based at least in part on one or more of classification of the user requesting the available tickets, and availability of other related tickets.

9. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

in response to a request of a user employed by an organization for tickets to an event, searching a database for available tickets of a set of tickets purchased prior in time by a procuring organization;

displaying to the user information about the available tickets;

in response to identifying the available tickets, allowing, via the computing device, the user employed by the organization to book the available tickets, the allowing comprising determining that a usage value of the available tickets internal to the organization is equal to or greater than a monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization, the usage value internal to the organization being calculated based at least in part on classification of a guest to accompany the user in use of the available tickets;

when there are no available tickets, authorizing the user to purchase new tickets; and

when the monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization is greater than the usage value internal to the organization, offloading the available tickets on an open market external to the organization.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the searching is conducted by one or more of date or event type.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the searching is performed on a database stored remotely to a system receiving the request for the available tickets.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 11, further comprising authorizing the user to purchase the available tickets to the event in response to the available tickets failing to meet a specified criteria.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12, further comprising authorizing the user to purchase the available tickets to the event in response to the user being of a predetermined classification.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the user is associated with the procuring organization.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization is based on an algorithm that takes into account at least one or more of an original price of the available tickets, a rate at which the event sold out, a current availability of tickets on primary and secondary markets, or a number of other users requesting related tickets.

15. The machine readable medium of 9, wherein the usage value internal to the organization is calculated based at least in part on one or more of classification of the user requesting the available tickets, and availability of other related tickets.

17. A system comprising:

at least one computing device configured to;

search a database for available tickets of a set of tickets purchased prior in time by a procuring organization, in response to a request of a user employed by an organization for tickets to an event;

display to the user information about the available tickets;

allow the user employed by the organization to book the available tickets, in response to identifying the available tickets, the allowing comprising a determination that a usage value of the available tickets internal to the organization is equal to or greater than a monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization, the usage value internal to the organization being calculated based at least in part on classification of a guest to accompany the user in use of the available tickets;

when there are no available tickets, authorize the user to purchase new tickets; and

when the monetary value of the available tickets external to the organization is greater than the usage value internal to the organization, offload the available tickets on an open market external to the organization.