Systems and Methods for Allocating a Consumer Access Right to a Live Event

• US 20070143185A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shoowin, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shoowin, Inc.
• Inventors: Leach, Andrew, Harmon, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/609,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.160
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/381 Currency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• 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: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A performer credit program facilitates crediting, tracking, and accumulating performer credits for consumer activity such as purchasing items related to a performer. Consumers manage performer credits in a performer credit account through a performer credit account facility and can elect to convert accumulated credits to access rights that can be used to acquire a ticket to a live event. Performers or their representative can use the information in the accounts to determine interest in and allocate seats for live events. Consumers can acquire, trade, exchange, or sell credits to other consumers on a secondary market allowing consumers to accumulate sufficient credits to convert to an access right. The program encourages consumers to acquire credits to exchange them for access rights that they can either sell or use to acquire a ticket to a live event.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring an access right to a live event, comprising:

accumulating credits through an activity that is associated with a measure of fan loyalty;

determining if an amount of accumulated credits surpasses a threshold for conversion to an access right; and

converting the credits to an access right to a live event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a consumption activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a purchasing activity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a blogging activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a fan-club activity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to fandom.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is an attendance activity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a download activity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a listening activity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is an advertisement viewing activity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a charitable contribution.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a promotion activity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a referral activity.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a group of artists, the live event involving the group of artists.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a theater production, the live event involving the theater production.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by an artist, the live event involving the artist.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by an event producer, the live event involving the event producer.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a sponsor, the live event involving the sponsor.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a venue, the live event involving the venue.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a location, the live event involving the location.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a team, the live event involving the team.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the event by a league, the live event involving the league.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a charitable association, the live event involving the charitable association.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a known live event.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a theater event.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a prospective live event.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a future live event.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a contingent live event.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a fixed live event.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a sporting event.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the live event is a music event.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the access right is a ticket.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the access right is an allocation of seats in a venue.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the access right is a backstage pass.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the access right is a position of a seat.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the access right is a pass to a party.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the access right is a pass to a promotional event.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the access right is an obligation to purchase a ticket at a pre-determined price.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity includes at least one purchase of one or more of a CD, apparel, jewelry, dé

cor, gift, stationary, food, beverage, artwork, poster, print, merchandise, memorabilia, book, digital video, DVD, VHS, and digital music.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity includes at least one purchase of one or more of team branded apparel, league branded apparel, team branded merchandise, league branded merchandise, team branded home dé

cor, league branded home dé

cor, team branded furniture, league branded furniture, a team branded automotive accessory, a league branded automotive accessory, a game ball, sports equipment, a hat, a collectible, a baseball cards, sports memorabilia, a video game, a book, a DVD, a VHS, and a digital video.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity includes at least one of posting on blogs, posting on message boards, joining a loyalty club, joining a fan club, supporting a performer'"'"'s cause, posting a performer'"'"'s link on a social networking site, referring a consumer to purchase a performer'"'"'s product, and referring a consumer to engage in a performer promotional activity.

42. The method of claim 1, further comprising trading the access night on a secondary rights market.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising reverting the access right to credits.

44. The method of claim 1, further comprising accumulating credits as a bonus that is not associated with a measure of fan loyalty.

45. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring ownership of the credits.

46. The method of claim 1, further comprising trading the credits for other credits that are associated with a different measure of fan loyalty.

86. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity includes at least one purchase of one or more of team branded apparel, league branded apparel, team branded merchandise, league branded merchandise, team branded home dé

cor, league branded home dé

cor, team branded furniture, league branded furniture, a team branded automotive accessory, a league branded automotive accessory, a game ball, sports equipment, a hat, a collectible, a baseball cards, sports memorabilia, a video game, a book, a DVD, a VHS, and a digital video.

47. A system, comprising:

an accumulation module for accumulating credits in response to an activity that is associated with a measure of fan loyalty;

a calculation module for determining whether an amount of accumulated credits surpasses a threshold for conversion to an access right; and

a conversion module for converting the credits into an access right to a live event.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a consumption activity.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a purchasing activity.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a blogging activity.

51. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a fan-club activity.

52. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to fandom.

53. The system of claim 47 wherein the activity is an attendance activity.

54. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a download activity.

55. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a listening activity.

56. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is an advertisement viewing activity.

57. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a charitable contribution.

58. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a promotion activity.

59. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is a referral activity.

60. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a group of artists, the live event involving the group of artists.

61. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a theater production, the live event involving the theater production.

62. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by an artist, the live event involving the artist.

63. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by an event producer, the live event involving the event producer.

64. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a sponsor, the live event involving the sponsor.

65. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a venue, the live event involving the venue.

66. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a location, the live event involving the location.

67. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a team, the live event involving the team.

68. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the event by a league, the live event involving the league.

69. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity is related to the live event by a charitable association, the live event involving the charitable association.

70. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a known live event.

71. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a theater event.

72. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a prospective live event.

73. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a future live event.

74. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a contingent live event.

75. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a fixed live event.

76. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a sporting event.

77. The system of claim 47, wherein the live event is a music event.

78. The system of claim 47, wherein the access right is a ticket.

79. The system of claim 47, wherein the access right is an allocation of seats in a venue.

80. The system of claim 47, wherein the access right is a backstage pass.

81. The system of claim 47, wherein the access right is a position of a seat.

82. The system of claim 47, wherein the access right is a pass to a party.

83. The system of claim 47, wherein the access right is a pass to a promotional event.

84. The system of claim 47, wherein the access right is an obligation to purchase a ticket at a pre-determined price.

85. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity includes at least one purchase of one or more of a CD, apparel, jewelry, dé

cor, gift, stationary, food, beverage, artwork, poster, print, merchandise, memorabilia, book, digital video, DVD, VHS, and digital music.

87. The system of claim 47, wherein the activity includes at least one of posting on blogs, posting on message boards, joining a loyalty club, joining a fan club, supporting a performer'"'"'s cause, posting a performer'"'"'s link on a social networking site, referring a consumer to purchase a performer'"'"'s product, and referring a consumer to engage in a performer promotional activity.

88. The system of claim 47, further comprising trading the access right on a secondary rights market.

89. The system of claim 47, further comprising reverting the access right to credits.

90. The system of claim 47, further comprising accumulating credits as a bonus that is not associated with a measure of fan loyalty.

91. The system of claim 47, further comprising transferring ownership of the credits.

92. The system of claim 47, further comprising trading the credits for other credits that are associated with a different measure of fan loyalty.

93. A database system, comprising:

A plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of individuals, wherein each entry comprises;

An account number corresponding to a specific individual and

A credit value linked to said account and corresponding to said individual'"'"'s accumulated measure of fan loyalty, and

Means for updating said individual'"'"'s credit value in response to a subsequent activity that is associated with a measure of fan loyalty;

Means for determining for determining whether an amount of accumulated credits surpasses a threshold for conversion to an access right to a live event; and

a conversion module for converting the credits into an access right to said live event.

94. The database system of claim 93 wherein the subsequent activity is selected from among the group consisting of a consumption activity, a purchasing activity, a blogging activity, a fan-club activity, an activity related to fandom, an attendance activity, a download activity, a listening activity, an advertisement viewing activity, a charitable contribution, a promotion activity, a referral activity.

95. The database system of claim 93, wherein the live event is selected from among the group consisting of an event involving a group of artists, a theater production, an artist, an event producer, an event sponsor, a team, a league, and charitable association.