Sports and concert event ticket pricing and visualization system

• US 8,639,541 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TixTrack, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TixTrack, Inc.
• Inventors: Sunshine, Steven A., Goodman, Rod, Arya, Michael, Chu, Larry, Ripberger, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHANNON S
• Application Number:
  US13/585,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H

Abstract

A system and method for displaying seat inventory at a venue and facilitating planning of ticket prices for events at the venue is presented. Methods to predict total revenue for an event are described. Also presented are systems and methods for determining at what price and when to release so-called ‘flex’ price tickets during an on-sale using the sales velocity and sales/inquiry ratios. Determining demand of seats from secondary markets is also described with methods to use the demand for either repricing the seats in the primary market or presenting ‘best value’ seats to a prospective purchaser.

Claims

1. A method for outputting graphical visual information for ticket inventory within a time frame selected by a user, the method comprising:

outputting a graphical display of a venue map, under control by a processor, of either an arena, a stadium, or a theater on an electronic display of a computing device, the venue map comprising a plurality of individual seats configured in a venue, the venue map being stored in memory of a computing device;

selecting a particular seat information to be displayed in a graphical display, under control by a processor, the seat information being selected from at least one of a sales status, a type of hold, a type of discount, a type of package, a type of group, or a type of plan;

selecting a grouping method by the user for grouping the selected seat information in a legend, the grouping method being selected from at least one of a sales status, a price of ticket, a type of hold, a type of discount, a type of package, a type of group, or a type of plan; and

simultaneously outputting a legend region including current information associated with the grouping method selected by the user, the legend region being associated with the graphical display of the venue map, the legend being within a vicinity of the graphical display of the venue map such that the legend region including the current information is outputted upon selecting the grouping method;

whereupon each of the individual seats displayed on the electronic display is observable by the user; and

wherein upon the selecting of the grouping method the legend region comprising the current information is associated with the summation of all seats of the selected grouping.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the venue is selected from a plurality of venues.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting at least one of the individual seats using a input device;

and simultaneously displaying status information associated with the selected individual seat.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the legend region comprises a status information being selected from one of an unsold seat, a seat on hold, a sold seat, or a seat not for sale.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the venue map being stored in memory;

and wherein the computing device being coupled to a network of computers.

6. A method for outputting graphical visual information for ticket inventory within a time frame selected by a user, the method comprising:

selecting a particular seat information to be displayed in a graphical display, the seat information being selected from a sales status, a type of hold, a type of discount, a type of package, a type of group, or a type of plan, the particular seat information being stored in a memory;

selecting a grouping method, under control by a processor, by the user for grouping the selected seat information in a legend, the grouping method being selected from a sales status, a price of ticket, a type of hold, a type of discount, a type of package, a type of group, or a type of plan;

outputting a graphical display, under control by the processor, of a venue map of either an arena, a stadium, or a theater on an electronic display of a computing device, the venue map comprising a plurality of individual seats configured in a venue such that a shape, a size, or a color of a particular seat in the venue displayed is modified based on the particular seat information; and

simultaneously outputting a legend region associated with the graphical display of the venue map, the legend being within a vicinity of the graphical display of the venue map,

wherein upon the selecting of the grouping method the legend region comprising a current information is associated with the summation of all seats of the selected grouping provided by the user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the hold type includes one of flex, artist, label, management, marketing, arena, or promoter.

8. A method for outputting graphical visual information for ticket inventory within a time frame, the method comprising:

outputting a graphical display, under control by a processor, of a venue map on an electronic display of a computing device, the venue map comprising a plurality of individual seats configured in a venue, the venue map being retrieved from a memory device coupled to the electronic display;

selecting at least one of the individual seats having a status using a input device coupled to the computing device, while the venue map on the electronic display is being displayed, the status being open;

displaying a price information and a location information associated with the selected individual seat, the location information is being simultaneously displayed with the graphical display of the selected individual seat upon selecting at least one of the individual seats having the status using the input device;

whereupon the location information comprising a section, row, and seat number;

selecting a particular seat information to be displayed, the seat information being selected from a sales status, a type of hold, a type of discount, a type of package, a type of group, or a type of plan;

selecting a grouping method by a user for grouping the selected seat information in a legend, the grouping method being selected from a sales status, a price of ticket, a type of hold, a type of discount, a type of package, a type of group, or a type of plan; and

simultaneously outputting a legend region associated with the graphical display of the venue map, under control by a processor, the legend being within a vicinity of the graphical display of the venue map,

wherein upon the selecting of the grouping method the legend region comprising a current information is associated with the summation of all seats of the selected grouping provided by the user.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising simultaneously outputting a legend region associated with the graphical display of the venue map, the legend being within a vicinity of the graphical display of the venue map;

and

whereupon each of the individual seats displayed on the electronic display and the legend region comprising the current information are observable by the user.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the legend region comprises a current status information being selected form one of an unsold seat, a seat on hold, or a seat not for sale.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the price information comprises a lowest price, a medium price, and a highest price.

12. The method of claim 8 displaying a fee information simultaneously with the price information and the location information associated with the selected individual seat, the location information is being simultaneously displayed with the graphical display of the selected individual seat.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising purchasing a ticket associated with the selected seat by clicking on the seat associated with the selected seat;

and completing a transaction of purchasing the ticket associated with the selected seat.