Centralized and device-aware ticket-transfer system and methods

• US 9,251,518 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Live Nation Entertainment Incorporated
• Inventors: Levin, Samuel, Scarborough, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Traci
• Application Number:
  US14/202,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud

Abstract

User accounts can allow respective users to access any their respectively owned ticket. Each ticket in a group of tickets provides its owner the right to redeem the ticket to attend a particular event. A first user initially owns a ticket in the group. Ownership of the ticket is transferred from the first user to a second user, such that, subsequent to the transfer, the second user has the right to redeem the ticket but the first user does not. A code is generated for the ticket, the code being based on a characteristic of a device associated with the second user. The code is unique across codes in the group of tickets. Redeeming the ticket to attend the particular event includes analyzing the code. A history for the ticket can be stored, the history including an indication of the transfer occurrence.

Claims

1. A ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users, the ticket management system comprising:

an account engine that;

allows a first user to access a first account, the first account being configured to have the capability of allowing the first user to access any tickets owned by the first user, the first user owning a ticket, ownership of a ticket by a user providing the user with the right to redeem the ticket to attend an event, wherein a group of tickets comprises the ticket, and all tickets in the group of tickets provide respective users owning the ticket the right to redeem it to attend a particular event,

and allows a second user to access a second account, the second account being configured to have the capability of allowing the second user to access any tickets owned by the second user;

a ticket transferer that transfers ownership of the ticket from the first user to the second user, such that, subsequent to the transfer, the second user has the right to redeem the ticket but the first user does not;

a device identifier that determines a first identifier of a first device associated with the second account and predicted to be used in an attempt to redeem the transferred ticket, the first identifier including a first MAC address and uniquely identifying the first device among other devices;

and a code generator that transforms, using a processor, a first code associated with the ticket prior to transfer and the first identifier of the first device associated with the second account into a second code for the transferred ticket, the second code including the first identifier of the first device associated with the second account, the first code including another identifier of another device associated with the first account,

wherein redeeming the transferred ticket to attend the particular event comprises;

receiving the second code at a second device from the first device associated with the second account, the second code including the first MAC address and uniquely identifying the first device among other devices,

and determining by the second device that the received second code identifier corresponds to the first identifier including the first MAC address of the first device from which the second code was received.

2. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the ticket provides a right to attend the particular event on a particular date, and

the second code is presented on the ticket only once it is a predetermined time before the particular date.

3. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 1, wherein the second code comprises a plurality of segments, a first segment of the plurality of segments identifying the first identifier of the first device, and a second segment of the plurality of segments identifying the particular event.

4. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 1, wherein the second code includes an identifier of a seat.

5. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 1, further comprising a ticket tracker that identifies a history of the ticket, the history of the ticket including an indication that the ownership of the ticket was transferred to the second user.

6. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 1, wherein the ownership of the ticket is transferred from the first user to the second users in response to detecting activity from at least one of the first user and the second user, the activity including a request for or agreement to the transfer.

7. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 1, further comprising a payment manager that, prior to the transfer of ownership of the ticket from the first user to the second user, ensures that a payment has been collected from the second user.

8. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 7, wherein the ticket manager further sends part, but not all, of the payment to the first user.

9. A method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users, the method comprising:

allowing a first user to access a first account, the first account being configured to have the capability of allowing the first user to access any tickets owned by the first user, the first user owning a ticket, ownership of a ticket by a user providing the user with the right to redeem the ticket to attend an event, wherein a group of tickets comprises the ticket, and all tickets in the group of tickets provide respective users owning the ticket the right to redeem it to attend a particular event;

allowing a second user to access a second account, the second account being configured to have the capability of allowing the second user to access any tickets owned by the second user;

transferring ownership of the ticket from the first user to the second user, such that, subsequent to the transfer, the second user has the right to redeem the ticket but the first user does not;

determining a first identifier of a first device associated with the second account and predicted to be used in an attempt to redeem the transferred ticket, the first identifier including a first MAC address and uniquely identifying the first device among other devices; and

transforming, using a processor, a first code associated with the ticket prior to transfer and the first identifier of the first device associated with the second account into a second code for the transferred ticket, the second code including the first identifier of the first device associated with the second account, the first code including another identifier of another device associated with the first account,

wherein redeeming the transferred ticket to attend the particular event comprises;

receiving the second code at a second device from the first device associated with the second account, the second code including the first MAC address and uniquely identifying the first device among other devices,

and determining by the second device that the received second code identifier corresponds to the first identifier including the first MAC address of the first device from which the second code was received.

10. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the ticket provides a right to attend the particular event on a particular date, and

the second code is presented on the ticket only once it is a predetermined time before the particular date.

11. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 9, wherein the second code comprises a plurality of segments, a first segment of the plurality of segments identifying the first identifier of the first device, and a second segment of the plurality of segments identifying the particular event.

12. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 9, wherein the second code includes an identifier of a seat.

13. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 9, further comprising storing a history for the ticket, the history including an indication that the ownership of the ticket was transferred to the second user.

14. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 9, further comprising detecting activity from at least one of the first user and the second user, the activity including a request for or agreement to the transfer, wherein the ownership of the ticket is transferred from the first user to the second user in response to detecting the activity.

15. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 9, further comprising ensuring that a payment has been collected from the second user prior to transferring the ownership of the ticket from the first user to the second user.

16. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 15, further comprising sending part, but not all, of the payment to the first user.

17. The method for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 9, wherein the ticket is configured such that it can be viewed on a portable electronic device and redeemed by showing the viewed ticket to a ticket taker.

18. A ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users, the ticket management system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are configured to;

allow a first user to access a first account, the first account being configured to have the capability of allowing the first user to access any tickets owned by the first user, the first user owning a ticket, ownership of a ticket by a user providing the user with the right to redeem the ticket to attend an event, wherein a group of tickets comprises the ticket, and all tickets in the group of tickets provide respective users owning the ticket the right to redeem it to attend a particular event,

allow a second user to access a second account, the second account being configured to have the capability of allowing the second user to access any tickets owned by the second user;

transfer ownership of the ticket from the first user to the second user, such that, subsequent to the transfer, the second user has the right to redeem the ticket but the first user does not;

determine first identifier of a first device associated with the second account and predicted to be used in an attempt to redeem the transferred ticket, the first identifier including a first MAC address and uniquely identifying the first device among other devices; and

transform, using a processor, a first code associated with the ticket prior to transfer and the first identifier of the first device associated with the second account into a second code for the transferred ticket, the second code including the first identifier of the first device associated with the second account, the first code including another identifier of another device associated with the first account,

wherein redeeming the transferred ticket to attend the particular event comprises;

receiving the second code at a second device from the first device associated with the second account, the second code including the first MAC address and uniquely identifying the first device among other devices,

and determining by the second device that the received second code identifier corresponds to the first identifier including the first MAC address of the first device from which the second code was received.

19. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the ticket provides a right to attend the particular event on a particular date, and

the second code is presented on the ticket only once it is a predetermined time before the particular date.

20. The ticket management system for centrally and dynamically managing assignments of tickets to users as recited in claim 18, wherein the one or more processors and one or more memories are further configured to store a history for the ticket, the history including an indication that the ticket was transferred to the second user.