Computer controlled auction system

• US 7,747,507 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• 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): Havan; Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US11/059,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 705 37- 38
• US Class Current: 705/37
• 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 for allocating a plurality of priority rights, the method comprising:

providing a system, including a computer configured to identify and rank acceptable bid records, that includes a database containing ranks for the plurality of priority rights;

storing, in the database, a plurality of bid records received by the system, the bid records including bid amount information;

identifying, using the computer, a plurality of acceptable bid records among the plurality of bid records stored in the database, wherein the acceptable bid records are identified, using the computer, as acceptable at least partially based on the bid record bid amount information;

automatically ranking, using the computer, the plurality of acceptable bid records at least partially based on the bid record bid amount information; and

associating, using the computer, a selected acceptable bid record with at least one of the plurality of priority rights.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected acceptable bid record is associated with more than one of the plurality of priority rights.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein all bid records received by the system are identified as acceptable bid records.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceptable bid records are identified as acceptable based on a comparison of (a) the bid record bid amount information and (b) a threshold acceptable bid amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the acceptable bid records are identified as acceptable based on a comparison of (a) the bid record bid amount information and (b) a threshold acceptable bid amount; and

the threshold acceptable bid amount is based on a comparison of (a) a quantity of the plurality of priority rights, and (b) a quantity of the plurality of bid records received by the system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the bid records further include bid quantity information, such that the selected acceptable bid record is associated with a quantity of priority rights that corresponds to the selected acceptable bid record bid quantity information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a user from which a selected bid record is received of a bid status that corresponds to the selected bid record.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of priority rights correspond to a plurality of event tickets.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the bid amount information with a minimum bid amount.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a server which sends and receives information through a communication system to remote terminals.

10. A method for allocating a quantity of priority rights, the method comprising:

ranking, using a system including a computer, the quantity of priority rights;

receiving, at the system, a quantity of bid records that include bid amount information;

ranking, using the system, a selected bid record with respect to the quantity of bid records at least partially based on the selected bid record bid amount information, such that the selected bid record has a selected bid record rank; and

associating, using the system, the selected bid record with a selected priority right having a selected priority right rank, such that the selected priority right rank corresponds to the selected bid record rank.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected priority right rank is equal to the selected bid record rank.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected priority right corresponds to the right to occupy a group of contiguous seats at an event.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the selected priority right corresponds to the right to occupy a group of contiguous seats at an event; and

the selected priority right rank is based on physical proximity of the group of contiguous seats to a location.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected priority right corresponds to the right to attend an event.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the quantity of priority rights are ranked based on a preference level associated with the priority rights.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying a graphical representation of the quantity of priority rights.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the quantity of bid records are received from a plurality of users, the method further comprising distributing the selected priority right to a selected user from whom the selected bid record was received.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the quantity of bid records are received from a plurality of users, the method further comprising sending a bid status notification to a selected user, the bid status notification including bid status data corresponding to a bid record received from the selected user.

45. The method of claim 10, wherein the system comprises a server which sends and receives information through a communication system to remote terminals.

19. A method for distributing a plurality of rights, the method comprising:

ranking the plurality of rights using a system including a computer;

receiving, at the system, a plurality of bid records, the received bid records including bid amount information and bid quantity information;

identifying, using the system, a plurality of acceptable bid records among the plurality of received bid records, wherein the acceptable bid records are identified at least partially based on the bid record bid amount information;

ranking, using the system, the plurality of acceptable bid records at least partially based on the bid record bid amount information; and

associating, using the system, a selected acceptable bid record with a quantity of the plurality of rights, wherein the quantity is equal to the selected acceptable bid record bid quantity information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the acceptable bid records are identified at least partially based on the bid record bid amount information and the bid record bid quantity information.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of acceptable bid records are associated with the plurality of rights in order of the ranking of the plurality of rights and the ranking of the plurality of acceptable bid records, such that a highest ranked right is associated with a highest ranked acceptable bid record.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a price for the quantity of rights associated with the selected acceptable bid record, wherein the price is based on the bid amount information and the bid quantity information of the selected acceptable bid record.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of rights correspond to a plurality of rights to attend an event.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of rights correspond to a plurality of rights to have a service performed.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of bid records are received via a computer network.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising comparing the bid quantity information with a maximum bid quantity restriction.

46. The method of claim 19, wherein the system comprises a server which sends and receives information through a communication system to remote terminals.

27. A priority right allocation system that comprises:

a memory storing (a) priority rights data including ranking data associated with a plurality of priority rights and (b) bid record data including bid amount data associated with a plurality of bid records; and

a computer that is operably connected to the memory, the computer being operable to;

identify a plurality of acceptable bid records among the plurality of bid records, wherein the acceptable bid records have associated therewith bid amount data that is above a threshold bid amount,

rank the plurality of acceptable bid records based on the bid amount data associated with the acceptable bid records, and

associate the plurality of acceptable bid records with priority rights selected from the plurality of priority rights, the association being made based at least partially on the ranking of the plurality of acceptable bid records and the priority rights ranking data.

28. The priority right allocation system of claim 27, wherein the quantity of acceptable bid records is less than or equal to the quantity of priority rights.

29. The priority right allocation system of claim 27, wherein the memory also stores user registration data associated with users who are authorized to submit bid record data to the priority right allocation system.

30. The priority right allocation system of claim 27, wherein the computer is also operable to simultaneously display a graphical representation of (a) the plurality of priority rights and (b) bid amount data for acceptable bid records that are associated with selected priority rights.

31. The priority right allocation system of claim 27, wherein the computer is also operable to determine the threshold bid amount based on bid amount data associated with a bid record having the nth-highest bid amount data, wherein n is the quantity of priority rights.

32. The priority right allocation system of claim 27, wherein the computer is also operable to:

receive a subsequent bid record after associating the plurality of acceptable bid records with priority rights, wherein the subsequent bid record is an acceptable bid record based on bid amount data associated therewith; and

recalculate the threshold bid amount after receiving the subsequent bid record.

33. The priority right allocation system of claim 27, wherein the computer is also operable to receive the bid record data from a plurality of remote terminals.

34. A computer-based method for allocating a plurality of event tickets, the method comprising:

storing in memory seat rankings for a plurality of seats;

storing in memory a plurality of bids, the bids including bid amount information; and

based at least in part on the bid amounts and the rankings for the seats stored in memory, automatically associating, using a computer, the plurality of bids with corresponding seats from the plurality of seats.

35. The method of claim 34, the method further comprising identifying a plurality of acceptable bids among the plurality of bids stored in memory, wherein the acceptable bids are identified as acceptable at least partially based on the bid amount information.

36. The method of claim 34, the method further comprising identifying a plurality of acceptable bids among the plurality of bids stored in memory, wherein the acceptable bids are identified as acceptable at least partially based on the bid amount information wherein a first selected acceptable bid is associated with more than one of the plurality of seats.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the ranking for the seats is related to a venue section associated with the seats.

38. The method of claim 34, the method further comprising identifying a plurality of acceptable bids among the plurality of bids stored in memory, wherein the acceptable bids are identified as acceptable based on (a) the bid record bid amount information and (b) a threshold acceptable bid amount.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the bids further include bid quantity information.

40. The method of claim 34, further comprising notifying a user from which a selected bid is received of a bid status that corresponds to the selected bid.

41. The method of claim 34, further comprising comparing the bid amount information with a minimum bid amount.

42. The method of claim 34, the method further comprising displaying a graphical representation corresponding to the plurality of seats.

43. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of seats are located at an event venue.

47. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer is configured to identify and rank acceptable bid records.