System and method for managing transfer of ownership rights to access to a venue and allowing access to the venue to patron with the ownership right

• US 8,346,580 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flash Seats LLC (Anschutz Company)
• Original Assignee: Flash Seats LLC (Anschutz Company)
• Inventors: Nakfoor, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vig, Naresh
• Application Number:
  US10/918,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,063 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/37, 705/64, 705/80, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• 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: 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 9/30 not involving the use of a pass

Abstract

Certain embodiments of a multi-input access device and method for using which allow access to an event or venue include a detector for detecting authentication data for a person and a processor for authenticating the authentication data to verify that the person is allowed to access the event. The authentication data includes at least paperless authentication data for the person. The authentication data may include a printed ticket, a magnetic strip, a bar code, a credit card, an identification card, a smart card, a radio frequency identifier, an electronic device, biometric data, a signal, and/or other authentication data. The access device may include an access gate, a turnstile, a handheld access device, a retrofit unit, and/or other access device. In an embodiment, the access device includes a verification module generating access verification data for the person.

Claims

1. An access system for allowing access to a venue, said access system comprising:

a processor configured to facilitate transfers of rights to access a venue, the rights being access rights and the transfers including sales and purchases of different ones of the access rights by different patrons, wherein for each one of the access rights said processor, per transfer of the one access right from a respective patron with current ownership of the one access right to a successive patron, associates current ownership information of the successive patron with the one access right and changes from (a) association of ownership information of the respective patron with the one access right to (b) association of ownership information of the successive patron with the one access right, and wherein the one access right for each transfer comprises the ownership information of the respective patron and the successive patron as one of;

a credit card number, a debit card number and a cell phone number;

wherein the processor maintains a database storing information regarding the access rights to the venue, said stored information including the respective ownership information of the respective patrons and successive patrons currently with the access rights, and said processor continuing to update ownership information throughout lifecycle of the access rights to the venue;

an access device formed of a detector and a processing unit, the detector detecting authentication data provided by the successive patron at the venue, wherein the authentication data identifies the successive patron having the one access right to the venue and said authentication data comprises at least paperless data, said paperless data being electronic identification of the successive patron as an individual in the access system but originally configured in one other system unrelated to access of said venue, the paperless data being logically unchanged between the access system and the other system but being effectively repurposed so that at a same time of serving a purpose other than personal identification in the one other system unrelated to access of said venue, the paperless data electronically identifies the successive patron in the access system;

the processing unit being operatively coupled to the database, and the processing unit being responsive to the detector and authenticating the authentication data provided by the successive patron at the venue by verifying the provided authentication data with the ownership information stored in the database such that the access device allows said successive patron access to said venue based on said provided authentication data, wherein the access device is configured to accept a plurality of forms of said authentication data to allow access to said venue; and

said detector of the access device comprises at least one of a handheld device or a retrofit unit that modifies existing access devices of the venue to accept the authentication data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said access device comprises an access gate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said access device generates access verification for said patron.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said access device grants access to said venue by verifying said authentication data with data in the database.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transfer event for access to said venue from an owner to said patron using patron ownership information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said authentication data is based on said patron ownership information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the paperless data includes any of:

a credit card number of the patron, a debit card number of the patron, and a cell phone number of the patron; and

the purpose in the other system includes any of indicating a credit card account, indicating a debit card account, and indicating a cell phone account.

8. A method for accessing a venue using authentication data, said method comprising:

using a first processor configured to facilitate transfers of rights to access a venue, the rights being access rights and the transfers including granting different ones of the access rights to different patrons, wherein for each one of the access rights said first processor, per transfer of the one access right from a respective patron with current ownership of the one access right to a successive patron, associates current ownership information of the successive patron with the one access right and changes from (a) association of ownership information of the respective patron with the one access right to (b) association of ownership information of the successive patron with the one access right, and wherein the one access right for each transfer comprises the ownership information of the respective patron and the successive patron as one of;

a credit card number, a debit card number, and a cell phone number;

using a second processor, maintaining a database that stores information regarding the access rights to the venue, said stored information including the respective ownership information of the respective patrons and successive patrons currently with the access rights and said second processor continuing to update ownership information throughout lifecycle of the access rights to the venue;

using a third processor, associating paperless authentication data with authorization for the successive patron to access said venue, said paperless authentication data being electronic identification of the successive patron in a venue access system but originally configured in one other system unrelated to access of said venue, the paperless data being logically unchanged between the access system and the other system but being effectively repurposed so that the paperless authentication data is useable in common by other systems unrelated to access of said venue;

said third processor, verifying that the successive patron has the one access right to the venue by comparing the paperless authentication data with the ownership information stored in the database; and

said third processor, authorizing access to said venue based on said paperless authentication data, wherein said authorizing of access includes utilizing an access device that comprises at least one of a handheld device or a retrofit unit that modifies existing access devices of the venue to accept the paperless authentication data and the paperless authentication data includes a plurality of forms.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the access device further accepts printed authentication data and non-printed authentication data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said authorizing step further comprises authorizing access to said venue by verifying said paperless authentication data with data in the database.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting said paperless authentication data to a processing system for verification of the one access right by said patron.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating access verification for said patron at said venue.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising transferring a right to access said venue from a prior owner to said patron.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said authorizing step further comprises authorizing access to said venue based on said paperless authentication data using an access device capable of accepting multiple forms of paper and paperless authentication data.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the paperless authentication data includes any of:

a credit card number of the patron, a debit card number of the patron, and a cell phone number of the patron; and

the other systems include any of;

a credit card system, a debit card system, and a cell phone system.

16. A multi-input access device allowing access to an event, said access device comprising:

given a venue access system having a first processor configured to facilitate transfers of access rights to an event, the transfers including sales and purchases of different ones of the access rights by different people, wherein for each one of the access rights said first processor, per transfer of the one access right from a respective person with current ownership of the one access right to a successive person, associates ownership information of the successive person with the one access right and changes from (a) association of ownership information of the respective person with the one access right to (b) association of ownership information of the successive person with the one access right, and wherein the one access right for each transfer comprises the ownership information of the respective patron and the successive patron as one of;

a credit card number, a debit card number, and a cell phone number;

wherein the first processor maintains a database storing information regarding the access rights to the event, said stored information including the respective ownership information of the respective people and successive people currently with the access rights, and said processor continuing to update ownership information throughout lifecycle of the access rights to the event;

a detector for detecting authentication data for the successive person at a venue of the event, wherein said authentication data comprises at least paperless authentication data that is electronic identification of said successive person useable in common by other systems unrelated to access of said venue, and the detector accepts a plurality of forms of said authentication data to allow access to said event;

the paperless authentication data being electronic identification of the successive person in the venue access system and being originally configured in one other system unrelated to access of said venue, the paperless data being logically unchanged between the access system and the other system but being effectively repurposed so that the paperless authentication data is useable in common by other systems unrelated to venue access; and

a second processor operatively coupled to the detector and the database for authenticating said authentication data by verifying the authentication data with the ownership information stored in the database and determining whether said successive person is allowed to access said event, wherein one of the detector or the second processor is coupled to at least one of a handheld device or a retrofit unit that modifies existing access devices of the venue to accept the authentication data.

17. The access device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of forms of said authentication data comprises at least one of a printed ticket, a magnetic strip, a bar code, a credit card, an identification card, a smart card, a radio frequency identifier, a mobile device, a wireless device, a signal, an electronic device, and biometric data

wherein the paperless authentication data includes any of a credit card number, a debit card number, and a cell phone number;

and

the other systems include any of a credit card system, a debit card system, and a cell phone system.

18. The access device of claim 16, further comprising a verification module generating access verification data for said person.