Computer-implemented systems and methods for resource allocation

• US 8,447,639 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adam Sussman, Dennis Denker, Ticketmaster (Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated), Robert Bennett
• Original Assignee: Ticketmaster (Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sussman, Adam, Bennett, Robert, Denker, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Vetter, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/476,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.25, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for processing queue data and for providing queue messaging over a network. An illustrative queuing system includes a first queue configured to hold resource requests from a plurality of users, and program code stored in computer readable memory configured to determine or estimate whether a resource requested by a first resource request submitted by a first requester will be available when the first resource request will be serviced, and to transmit a message over a network to the first requester indicating that the requested resource will not be available when the queued request is serviced if it is estimated or determined that the requested resource will not be available when the first request is serviced.

Claims

1. A method of providing queue messaging to resource requesters, the method comprising:

determining or estimating by a computer system a position in a queue of a resource request for a first resource associated with a first requester, wherein;

the resource request was received from a user terminal associated with the first requester;

the first resource is an event ticket, and

the queue is configured to queue at least requests for event tickets received from user terminals;

determining or estimating by the computer system whether the requested resource will be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced based at least in part on;

historical queue abandonment data with respect to ticket requests, and

the determined or estimated queue position of the resource request; and

at least partly in response to estimating or determining that the requested resource will not be available or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced, transmitting by the computer system a message over a network to the user terminal from which the resource request from the first requester was received, the message indicating that the requested resource will not be available or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing the first requester with a link enabling the first requester to request an event ticket to an alternate ticketed event in association with the message indicating that the requested resource will not be available or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

inferring that the first requester has an interest in an alternate ticketed event; and

providing the first requester with a link to information regarding the alternate ticketed event.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

using collaborative filtering to identify an interest of the first requester in an alternate ticketed event; and

providing the first requester with a link to information regarding the alternate ticketed event.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

selecting a time resolution based at least in part on a first queue condition; and

providing for display to at least one requester a queue wait time with the selected time resolution.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

based at least in part on a first queue condition, determining whether to provide a queue wait time for display to at least one requester.

7. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device;

program code stored in non-transitory memory configured to cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising;

determining or estimating a position in a queue of a resource request for a first resource associated with a first requester, wherein;

the resource request was received from a user terminal associated with the first requester;

the first resource is an event ticket, and

the queue is configured to queue at least requests for event tickets received from user terminals;

determining or estimating whether the requested resource will be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced based at least in part on;

historical queue abandonment data with respect to ticket requests, and

the determined or estimated queue position of the resource request; and

at least partly in response to estimating or determining that the requested resource will not be available or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced, transmitting a message over a network to the user terminal from which the resource request from the first requester was received, the message indicating that the requested resource will not be available or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced.

8. The system as defined in claim 7, the operations further comprising providing the first requester with a link enabling the first requester to request an event ticket to an alternate ticketed event in association with the message indicating that the requested resource will not be available or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced.

9. The system as defined in claim 7, the operations further comprising:

inferring that the first requester has an interest in an alternate ticketed event; and

providing the first requester with a link to information regarding the alternate ticketed event.

10. The system as defined in claim 7, the operations further comprising:

using collaborative filtering to identify an interest of the first requester in an alternate ticketed event; and

providing the first requester with a link to information regarding the alternate ticketed event.

11. The system as defined in claim 7, the operations further comprising:

selecting a time resolution based at least in part on a first queue condition; and

providing for display to at least one requester a queue wait time with the selected time resolution.

12. The system as defined in claim 7, the operations further comprising:

based at least in part on a first queue condition, determining whether to provide a queue wait time for display to at least one requester.

13. A non-transitory memory storing program code configured to cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:

determining or estimating a position in a queue of a resource request for a first resource associated with a first requester, wherein;

the resource request was received from a user terminal associated with the first requester;

the first resource is an event ticket, and the queue is configured to queue at least requests for event tickets received from user terminals;

determining or estimating whether the requested resource will be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced based at least in part on;

historical queue abandonment data with respect to ticket requests, and the determined or estimated queue position of the resource request; and

at least partly in response to estimating or determining that the requested resource will not be available or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced, transmitting a message over a network to the user terminal from which the resource request from the first requester was received, the message indicating that the requested resource will not be or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced.

14. The memory as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising providing the first requester with a link enabling the first requester to request an event ticket to an alternate ticketed event in association with the message indicating that the requested resource will not be or is unlikely to be available when the queued request is anticipated to be serviced.

15. The memory as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising:

inferring that the first requester has an interest in an alternate ticketed event;

and providing the first requester with a link to information regarding the alternate ticketed event.

16. The memory as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising:

using collaborative filtering to identify an interest of the first requester in an alternate ticketed event; and

providing the first requester with a link to information regarding the alternate ticketed event.

17. The memory as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising:

selecting a time resolution based at least in part on a first queue condition; and

providing for display to at least one requester a queue wait time with the selected time resolution.

18. The memory as defined in claim 13, the operations further comprising:

based at least in part on a first queue condition, determining whether to provide a queue wait time for display to at least one requester.