Computer-based right distribution system with temporal variation

• US 8,732,033 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ticketmaster LLC (Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brett, Kenton F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond, Rob
• Application Number:
  US11/502,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,840 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1809 for auctioneering devices

Abstract

An automated ticket auctioning system receives and evaluates bid information records received from a plurality of remote terminals. Each bid information record corresponds to at least one bid for one or more desired seats at a venue. Each bid information record may also include a plurality of additional bids identified for different seats in the venue. The separate bids in each bid information record are prioritized. The automated ticket auctioning system includes a central controlling computer operable to receive the bid information records and determine, in order of priority, whether any of the bids in a bid information record is accepted. If one bid in a bid information record is accepted, all lower priority bids in that bid information record are dismissed.

Claims

1. A method of auctioning a plurality of event tickets, the method comprising:

transmitting, over a network to a user terminal, a ticket auction start date prior to the ticket auction start date;

transmitting, over the network to the user terminal, minimum bid information associated with one or more events;

causing an interface to be transmitted to the user terminal via which a user can select, from a plurality of seating areas, a seating area for at least a first of the one or more events,

providing an interface via which the user can submit a bid for a seat ticket in the selected seating area;

receiving, over the network from the user terminal, a plurality of ticket bids that are associated with the one or more events, including the bid for the seat ticket in the selected seating area;

correlating at least a portion of the received ticket bids with event tickets,

wherein the event tickets grant a right to attend the one or more events; and

transmitting a notification over the network to a selected terminal associated with a successful auction bidder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the one or more events are golf tee times.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the event tickets correspond to rights to attend a particular event at a particular time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is an electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, over the network from the user terminal, registration information related to an auction bidder.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing event tickets to the successful auction bidder.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

providing for display on the user terminal a list of available seats in association with a venue map;

at least partly in response to the user selecting a first seat via the list of available seats, causing an indication to be displayed at a location corresponding to the selected first seat in the venue map.

9. A system for auctioning a plurality of event tickets, the system comprising:

a computing device;

instructions stored in computer readable memory, that when executed by the computing device are configured to performing operations comprising;

transmitting, over a network to a user terminal, a ticket auction start date prior to the ticket auction start date;

transmitting, over the network to the user terminal, minimum bid information associated with one or more events;

causing an interface to be transmitted to the user terminal via which a user can select, from a plurality of seating areas, a seating area for at least a first of the one or more events,

providing an interface via which the user can submit a bid for a seat ticket in the selected seating area;

receiving, over the network from the user terminal, a plurality of ticket bids that are associated with one or more events, including the bid for the seat ticket in the selected seating area;

correlating at least a portion of the received ticket bids with event tickets, wherein the event tickets grant a right to attend the one or more events; and

transmitting a notification over the network to a selected terminal associated with a successful auction bidder.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the network is the Internet.

11. the system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of the one or more events are a plurality of the golf tee times.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the event tickets correspond to rights to attend a particular event at a particular time.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the notification is an electronic message.

14. The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising receiving, over the network from the user terminal, registration information related to an auction bidder and if the registration information is incomplete, notifying the auction bidder.

15. The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising distributing event tickets to the successful auction bidder.

16. The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

providing for display on the user terminal a list of available seats in association with a venue map;

at least partly in response to the user selecting a first seat via the list of available seats, causing an indication to be displayed at a location corresponding to the selected first seat in the venue map.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, that when execute by the computing device are configured to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, over a network to a user terminal, a ticket auction start date prior to the ticket auction start date;

transmitting, over the network to the user terminal, minimum bid information associated with one or more events;

causing an interface to be transmitted to the user terminal via which a user can select, from a plurality of seating areas, a seating area for at least a first of the one or more events,

providing an interface via which the user can submit a bid for a seat ticket in the selected seating area;

receiving over the network from the user terminal, a plurality of ticket bids that are associated with the one or more events, including the bid for the seat ticket in the selected seating area;

correlating at least a portion of the received ticket bids with event tickets, wherein the event tickets grant a right to attend the one or more events; and

transmitting a notification over the network to a selected terminal associated with a successful auction bidder.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the network is the Internet.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a plurality of the one or more events are a plurality of golf tee times.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the event tickets correspond to rights to attend a particular event at a particular time.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the notification is an electronic message.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising receiving, over the network from the user terminal, registration information related to an auction bidder, and if the registration information is incomplete, notifying the auction bidder.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising distributing event tickets to the successful auction bidder.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

providing for display on the user terminal a list of available seats in association with a venue map;

at least partly in response to the user selecting a first seat via the list of available seats, causing an indication to be displayed at a location corresponding to the selected first seat in the venue map.