System and method for leisure and entertainment merchandising by attraction providers

• US 8,260,641 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ties Social Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ties Social Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Teicher, Mordechai
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, FREDA ANN
• Application Number:
  US13/329,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/5, 705/319, 709203-204
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

An attraction provider, such as an attraction operator or attraction agency, is using a system for merchandising commercial attractions to a community of subscribers. The system includes an attraction provider server and an encounter generator server, both cooperating to merchandise the commercial attractions to subscribers, by presenting commercial attractions to subscriber terminals, picking ensembles of subscribers for encounters, assigning an attraction to each ensemble, and booking for the picked ensembles their assigned attractions.

Claims

1. A system usable by an attraction provider for merchandising commercial attractions to a community of subscribers, the system comprising:

(i) an attraction provider server, and (ii) an encounter generator server;

said attraction provider server and said encounter generator server configured to cooperate for merchandising commercial attractions to subscribers of the community by;

said attraction provider server providing commercial attractions to said encounter generator server;

said encounter generator server receiving commercial attractions from said attraction provider server and storing the received commercial attractions in an attraction database;

said encounter generator server presenting commercial attractions provided by said attraction provider server to subscriber terminals of subscribers of the community, and receiving, from a subscriber terminal of each participating subscriber of a plurality of participating subscribers of the community, a ranking of said each participating subscriber'"'"'s interest in commercial attractions provided by said attraction provider server;

a processor of said encounter generator server generating an encounter by;

picking from said plurality of participating subscribers, in response to at least said rankings received from said plurality of participating subscribers, an ensemble of at least two subscribers and less than said plurality of participating subscribers, and

assigning to said ensemble an assigned attraction from the commercial attractions provided by said attraction provider server; and

said attraction provider server booking said assigned attraction for said ensemble.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said attraction provider is an attraction operator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said attraction provider is an attraction agency.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said encounter generator server is also receiving, from a subscriber terminal of each said participating subscriber, a scoring of said participating subscriber'"'"'s relative level of interest in each of a plurality of other subscribers of the community, and said picking is responsive also to said scorings received from said plurality of participating subscribers.

5. A computerized method usable by an attraction provider for merchandising commercial attractions to a community of subscribers, the method executed cooperatively by an attraction provider server and an encounter generator server, the method comprising:

said attraction provider server providing commercial attractions to said encounter generator server;

said encounter generator server receiving commercial attractions from said attraction provider server and storing the received commercial attractions in an attraction database;

said encounter generator server presenting commercial attractions provided by said attraction provider server to subscriber terminals of subscribers of the community, and receiving, from a subscriber terminal of each participating subscriber of a plurality of participating subscribers of the community, a ranking of said each participating subscriber'"'"'s interest in commercial attractions provided by said attraction provider server;

a processor of said encounter generator server generating an encounter by;

picking from said plurality of participating subscribers, in response to at least said rankings received from said plurality of participating subscribers, an ensemble of at least two subscribers and less than said plurality of participating subscribers, and

assigning to said ensemble an assigned attraction from the commercial attractions provided by said commercial attraction server; and

said attraction provider server booking said assigned attraction for said ensemble.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said attraction provider is an attraction operator.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said attraction provider is an attraction agency.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

said encounter generator server receiving, from a subscriber terminal of each said participating subscriber, a scoring of said participating subscriber'"'"'s relative level of interest in each of a plurality of other subscribers of the community; and

wherein said picking is responsive also to said scorings received from said plurality of participating subscribers.