System and method for managing seat reservations

• US 8,355,937 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CEATS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CEATS Incorporated
• Inventors: Chung, Tony Cheng-Tong, Halavais, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHANNON S
• Application Number:
  US13/530,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20120265565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 207 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/75
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

This invention relates to an electronic means by which people can select the exact seat or seats they want for any type of event or reserve an appointment for any activity. More specifically, a customer or a ticket re-seller or a venue operator can go, for example, to the internet and select the event or activity for which he wants a ticket or tickets or reserve a time and reserve and order the exact seat or seats or the time of his choosing directly online. The seat or seats or reserved time he selects is then removed from the inventory for that activity or event and made not available for any other buyer and such is so indicated by a graphical representation or other such indicator on the online map or picture representing availability of seating or time for that event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

constructing first data descriptive of available individual seats at a venue, the first data configured to cause an application executing on a personal computing device to generate a graphical user interface that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue;

receiving, from the application running on the personal computing device, second data representing one or more seats selected for a reservation with the graphical user interface comprising the interactive seating display;

sending third data to a payment verification server, the third data comprising payment information, wherein the third data is encrypted using a key that is recognized by the payment verification server;

storing, in a computer-readable storage device, permanent data, the permanent data comprising a verification code received from the payment verification server in response to sending the third data encrypted using the key that is recognized by the payment verification server, the permanent data being configured to prevent a second reservation of the one or more selected seats based on the receipt of the verification code from the payment verification server; and

transmitting, to the personal computing device, fourth data based on the stored permanent data, the fourth data including information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by an end user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the venue is a flight.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal computing device comprises a touch screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selected seats are selected by touch screen input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a web browser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment information comprises a credit card number and an expiration date.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the permanent data comprises one or more modified attributes associated with the one or more selected seats, the one or more modified attributes being configured to prevent a second reservation of the one or more selected seats.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises embedded scripting language code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the voucher may be redeemed by the end user for a ticket.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing, in the computer-readable storage device, comprises sending a database command to store the permanent data in a database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the constructing first data comprises loading an image file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth data comprises web page data.

13. A system comprising:

a data storage system storing entries denoting available individual seats at a venue; and

a server programmed via executable instructions to;

construct first data descriptive of available individual seats at a venue, the first data configured to cause an application executing on a personal computing device to generate a graphical user interface that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue;

receive, from the application running on the personal computing device, second data representing one or more seats selected for a reservation with the graphical user interface comprising the interactive seating display;

send third data to a payment verification server, the third data comprising payment information;

store, in a computer-readable storage device, permanent data, the permanent data comprising a verification code received from the payment verification server in response to sending the third data, the permanent data being configured to prevent a second reservation of the one or more selected seats based on the receipt of the verification code from the payment verification server; and

transmit, to the personal computing device, fourth data based on the stored permanent data, the fourth data including information that can be printed as an admission document or voucher by an end user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the personal computing device comprises a touch screen.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more selected seats are selected by touch screen input.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the permanent data comprises one or more modified attributes associated with the one or more selected seats, the one or more modified attributes being configured to prevent a second reservation of the one or more selected seats.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first data comprises embedded scripting language code.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the voucher may be redeemed by the end user for a ticket.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the storing, in the computer-readable storage device, comprises sending a database command to store the permanent data in a database.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the constructing first data comprises loading an image file.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the constructing first data comprises loading the image file and converting the image to a web-friendly image type.