System and methods for third-party access to a network-based system for providing location-based upcoming event information

• US 8,661,025 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: StubHub, Inc.
• Inventors: Gibson, Ashley, Costello, Cass Patrick, Wu, Conny C
• Primary Examiner(s): Shanmugasundaram, Kannan
• Application Number:
  US12/338,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 707/765, 707999001-999005, 707/722
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and methods for third-party access to a network-based system for providing location-based upcoming event information are described. The location-based upcoming event information may be accessed from the network-based system by a server-side web application implemented by a third party. The server-side web application may be configured to communicate with the network-based system that provides online marketplace and ticket fulfillment services and to generate a query based upon the location of a user and other event criteria. The server-side web application may communicate the query to the network-based system and, in response, receive location-based upcoming event information which may be displayed to a user as a list and/or information on a map. The location-based upcoming event information may comprise an aggregate of ticket inventory available from multiple online marketplaces providing the user with multiple purchasing options. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for providing upcoming event information on a computer, the method comprising:

determining a location of a user by a server-side web application implemented by a third party on the computer, the server-side web application configured to communicate with a network-based system;

generating a query by the server-side web application prior to communicating with the network-based system, the query generated based on an identifier associated with the location as defined by the network-based system;

communicating the query by the server-side web application from the computer to the network-based system;

receiving a response to the query at the server-side web application from the network-based system comprising location-based upcoming event information for a plurality of upcoming events;

displaying a user interface comprising the location-based upcoming event information for each of the plurality of upcoming events via the server-side application, wherein a number of tickets available and price information are displayed along with a name of a seller platform offering available tickets for a plurality of different seller platforms for each of the plurality of upcoming events;

displaying a map illustrating geographic address locations of an event venue and a ticket pick-up location; and

displaying a pop-up window over the map when an event venue on the map is selected by the user, wherein the pop-up window comprises a number of tickets available and price information offered by a plurality of different seller platforms for one of the plurality of upcoming events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side web application is implemented as a web widget supported by a third-party application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side web application is implemented within a third-party web site hosted by the third party on a third-party server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wherein server-side web application comprises an implementation of an application program interface of the network-based system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the upcoming event information returned in a query and displayed by the server-side web application comprises time-based event information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the upcoming event information returned in a query and displayed by the server-side web application comprises ticket level details including section, row, and seat, and the server-side web application allows a user to view tickets, select tickets, and set preferences based on ticket level details.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side web application automatically determines the location of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side web application is configured by the user to request ticket information based upon one or more of category, genre, artist, team, price range, and ticket attributes.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the response comprises dynamic content provided by a dynamic content campaign of the network-based system that is linked to the identifier associated with the location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side web application is configured to allow the user to initiate a purchase of tickets from within the server-side web application using account information associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the server-side web application is configured to allow the user to view and save electronic ticket information.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program instructions that when executed enable a computer system to:

determine a location of a user via a server-side web application implemented by a third party on the computer, the server-side web application configured to communicate with a network-based system;

generate a query prior to communicating with the network-based system, the query generated based on an identifier associated with the location as defined by the network-based system;

communicate the query from the computer to the network-based system;

receiving a response to the query from the network-based system comprising location-based upcoming event information for a plurality of upcoming events;

display a user interface comprising the location-based upcoming event information for each of the plurality of upcoming events via the server-side application, wherein a number of tickets available and price information are displayed along with a name of a seller platform offering available tickets for a plurality of different seller platforms for each of the plurality of upcoming events;

display a map illustrating geographic address locations of an event venue and a ticket pick-up location; and

display a pop-up window over the map when an event venue on the map is selected by the user, wherein the pop-up window comprises a number of tickets available and price information offered by a plurality of different seller platforms for one of the plurality of upcoming events.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the server-side web application is implemented as a web widget supported by a third-party application.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the server-side web application is implemented within a third-party web site hosted by the third party on a third-party server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the server-side web application is configured to allow the user to purchase tickets from within the server-side web application using account information associated with the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the server-side web application is configured to allow the user to view and save electronic ticket information.