System and method for managing seat reservations
First Claim
1. A system for enabling users to interactively select seats and to purchase tickets for events, the system comprising:
- a database that stores seat availability information for a plurality of events; and
a server programmed, via executable program instructions, to provide web-based access to the seating availability information via web pages of a web site, and to enable users to select seats and purchase associated tickets for said events via browser-based interaction with the web site, said server additionally programmed to;
query the database to obtain seat availability information for an event selected by a user; and
generate a web page for presentation to the user, said web page including an interactive seating chart for said event, said interactive seating chart graphically depicting a physical arrangement of seats, and graphically indicating, for each seat, whether the seat is available, as determined from said seat availability information, said web page including coding that enables the user to hover a mouse pointer over a graphical representation of a seat on said interactive seating chart to obtain additional information regarding said seat, said web page additionally including coding that enables the user to interactively select individual seats by clicking on the corresponding graphical representations of the seats in the interactive seating chart, said web page capable of being displayed by a web browser running on a computing device of the user.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to an electronic means by which people can select the exact seat or seats they want for any type of event or reserve an appointment for any activity. More specifically, a customer or a ticket re-seller or a venue operator can go, for example, to the internet and select the event or activity for which he wants a ticket or tickets or reserve a time and reserve and order the exact seat or seats or the time of his choosing directly online. The seat or seats or reserved time he selects is then removed from the inventory for that activity or event and made not available for any other buyer and such is so indicated by a graphical representation or other such indicator on the online map or picture representing availability of seating or time for that event.
94 Citations
90 Claims
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1. A system for enabling users to interactively select seats and to purchase tickets for events, the system comprising:
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a database that stores seat availability information for a plurality of events; and a server programmed, via executable program instructions, to provide web-based access to the seating availability information via web pages of a web site, and to enable users to select seats and purchase associated tickets for said events via browser-based interaction with the web site, said server additionally programmed to; query the database to obtain seat availability information for an event selected by a user; and generate a web page for presentation to the user, said web page including an interactive seating chart for said event, said interactive seating chart graphically depicting a physical arrangement of seats, and graphically indicating, for each seat, whether the seat is available, as determined from said seat availability information, said web page including coding that enables the user to hover a mouse pointer over a graphical representation of a seat on said interactive seating chart to obtain additional information regarding said seat, said web page additionally including coding that enables the user to interactively select individual seats by clicking on the corresponding graphical representations of the seats in the interactive seating chart, said web page capable of being displayed by a web browser running on a computing device of the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20)
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14. A method for enabling users to interactively select seats and to purchase tickets for events, the method comprising:
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querying a database to obtain seat availability information for an event selected by a user; and generating a web page for presentation to the user, said web page including an interactive seating chart for said event, said interactive seating chart graphically depicting a physical arrangement of seats, and graphically indicating, for each seat, whether the seat is available, as determined from said seat availability information, said web page including coding that enables the user to hover a mouse pointer over a graphical representation of said interactive seating chart to obtain additional information regarding said seats, said web page additionally including coding that enables the user to interactively select individual seats by clicking on the corresponding graphical representations of the seats in the interactive seating chart, said web page capable of being displayed by a web browser running on a computing device of the user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer-implemented method for interactively providing air travel seating information to an end user over a network, the method comprising:
transmitting data to an application running on a home or office personal computing device, the data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the data configured to enable the application to generate a graphical user interface on the personal computing device that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the data enabling the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a location indicator on a portion of the interactive seating display. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer-implemented method for interactively selecting one or more seats on a flight by an end user over a network, the method comprising:
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transmitting first data to an application running on a general purpose computer, the first data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more a flights, the first data encoded to enable the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats on the one or more flights, the first data encoded to enable the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a location indicator on a portion of the interactive seating display; and receiving from the general purpose computer second data representing one or more seats selected by one or more mouse clicks. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A computer-implemented method performed by a general purpose computer for interactively selecting one or more seats on an airplane by an end user over a network, the method comprising:
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receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer over the network, data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a location indicator being positioned on a portion of the interactive seating display; and receiving from the end user a selection of one or more seats by one or more mouse clicks. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A computer-implemented method performed by a home or office personal computing device for providing information regarding air travel seating to an end user over a network, the method comprising:
receiving, via an application running on the personal computing device from a server coupled to the personal computing device over the network, data including information descriptive of available individual seats on one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the personal computing device that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats on the one or more airplanes, the data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a location indicator being positioned on a portion of the interactive seating display. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A computer-implemented method for interactively providing seating information to an end user over a network, the method comprising:
transmitting data to an application running on a home or office personal computing device, the data including information descriptive of available individual seats at a venue, the data capable of enabling the application to generate a graphical user interface on the personal computing device that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue, the data capable of enabling the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a location indicator on a portion of the interactive seating display. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A computer-implemented method for interactively selecting one or more seats at a venue by an end user over a network, the method comprising:
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transmitting first data to an application running on a general purpose computer, the first data including information descriptive of available individual seats at a venue, the first data encoded to enable the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue, the first data encoded to enable the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to the end user placing a location indicator on a portion of the interactive seating display; and receiving from the general purpose computer second data representing one or more seats selected by one or more mouse clicks. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A computer-implemented method performed by a general purpose computer for interactively selecting one or more seats at a venue by an end user over a network, the method comprising:
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receiving, via an application running on the general purpose computer from a server coupled to the general purpose computer over the network, data including information descriptive of available individual seats at a venue, the data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the general purpose computer that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue, the data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a location indicator being positioned on a portion of the interactive seating display; and receiving from the end user a selection of one or more seats by one or more mouse clicks. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A computer-implemented method performed by a home or office personal computing device for providing information regarding seating to an end user over a network, the method comprising:
receiving, via an application running on the personal computing device from a server coupled to the personal computing device over the network, data including information descriptive of available individual seats at a venue, the data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the personal computing device that comprises an interactive seating display representing individual seats at the venue, the data processed by the application to generate an additional display of information about one or more of the individual seats in response to a location indicator being positioned on a portion of the interactive seating display. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
Specification