U.S. patent application number 10/646676 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-26 for automated on-line purchasing system.
Invention is credited to Prescott, James.
Application Number | 20040039660 10/646676 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31891507 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040039660 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Prescott, James |
February 26, 2004 |
Automated on-line purchasing system
Abstract
An Internet-based purchasing system and associated method,
including: (i) a remote terminal for use by a consumer; (ii) an
on-line purchasing system, wherein the system further includes a
system database in communication with the remote terminal for
storing both consumer information and ticket and merchandise
information; (iii) a user interface between the remote terminal and
the on-line purchasing system for allowing the exchange of
information and commands between the remote terminal and the
on-line purchasing system; (iv) at least one source system in
communication with the on-line purchasing system for allowing
vendors of tickets or merchandise to sell items on-line, wherein
the source system further includes a source database for storing
current ticket and merchandise information; (v) a communication
interface between the on-line purchasing system and the source
system for allowing data exchange between the systems; (vi)
software means for allowing the on-line purchasing system to
monitor the source system for current ticket or merchandise
information and communicate the information back to the on-line
purchasing system; (vii) software means for allowing the on-line
purchasing system to execute the purchase of tickets or merchandise
from the source system based on the current information; and (viii)
software means for allowing the source system to communicate with
the remote terminal to indicate the completion of the purchase to
the consumer.
Inventors: |
Prescott, James; (Columbus,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CALFEE, HALTER & GRISWOLD, LLP
1110 FIFTH THIRD CENTER
21 EAST STATE STREET
COLUMBUS
OH
43215-4243
US
|
Family ID: |
31891507 |
Appl. No.: |
10/646676 |
Filed: |
August 22, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60405527 |
Aug 23, 2002 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/5 ;
705/27.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0641 20130101;
G06Q 30/0613 20130101; G06Q 30/06 20130101; G06Q 10/02
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/26 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. An Internet-based system for purchasing items on-line,
comprising: (a) a remote terminal for use by a consumer; (b) an
on-line purchasing system, wherein said system further comprises a
system database in communication with said remote terminal for
storing both consumer information and ticket and merchandise
information; (c) a user interface between said remote terminal and
said on-line purchasing system for allowing the exchange of
information and commands between said remote terminal and said
on-line purchasing system; (d) at least one source system in
communication with said on-line purchasing system for allowing
vendors of tickets or merchandise to sell items on-line, wherein
said source system further comprises a source database for storing
current ticket and merchandise information; (e) a communication
interface between said on-line purchasing system and said source
system for allowing data exchange between said systems; (f)
software means for allowing said on-line purchasing system to
monitor said source system for current ticket or merchandise
information and communicate said information back to said on-line
purchasing system; (g) software means for allowing said on-line
purchasing system to execute the purchase of tickets or merchandise
from said source system based on said current information; and (h)
software means for allowing said source system to communicate with
said remote terminal to indicate the completion of said purchase to
said consumer.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising software means for
allowing said on-line purchasing system and said source system to
communicate with a financial institution for the purpose of
completing a credit card transaction.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said software means for allowing
said on-line purchasing system to monitor said source system for
ticket or merchandise information and communicate said information
back to said system database is a "BOT".
4. A method for executing consumer transactions using the Internet,
said method comprising the steps of: (a) using a remote terminal to
access an on-line purchasing system, wherein said purchasing system
further comprises a system database, and wherein said database
further includes information concerning tickets and merchandise,
and wherein said system database is in communication with at least
one vendor source system, and wherein said source system further
includes a source database containing current information
concerning the purchase of tickets and merchandise; (b) entering
customer information into said on-line purchasing system from said
remote terminal; (c) selecting desired tickets or merchandise from
said system database using said remote terminal; (d) using software
means within said on-line purchasing system to monitor said at
least one source system for current information concerning the
purchase of said tickets or merchandise; (e) using software means
within said on-line purchasing system to purchase said tickets or
merchandise from said vendor source system based on said current
information; and (f) using software means within said vendor source
system to send notification to said remote terminal indicating that
a transaction has been completed.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of using
software means within said systems to allow said on-line purchasing
system and said source system to communicate with a financial
institution for the purpose of completing a credit card
transaction.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/405,527 filed on Aug.
23, 2002 and entitled "Automated Ticket Retrieval," the disclosure
of which is incorporated as if fully rewritten herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates in general to an
Internet-based system for conducting consumer or commercial
transactions, and more specifically to an automated Internet or
web-based system for locating and purchasing tickets to sporting
events, concerts, or other events and/or merchandise.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Purchasing tickets for sporting events, concerts, or other
events frequently requires driving to a location where tickets are
sold and standing line with the hope of being able to obtain both
the desired number of tickets and decent seats. While many venues
and ticket sales companies, as well as many merchants, have
implemented on-line purchasing systems in recent years, purchasing
tickets or other merchandise for which there are limited quantities
still involves waiting, in real time, for the right moment to make
the purchase. The ability of the average consumer to utilize the
Internet for a variety of transactions creates the potential for a
web-based system that could be used to prioritize customer orders
such that the waiting involved is reduced or eliminated. Thus,
there is a need for an on-line, Internet or web-based system that
allows a consumer to make a purchase without the inconvenience of
constantly monitoring a vendor's website for the moment when an
item becomes available for purchase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] These and other deficiencies of the prior art are overcome
by the present invention, the exemplary embodiment of which
provides an Internet-based system for purchasing items on-line.
This invention permits the consumer of tickets and other
merchandise to use a web page to enter their customer information,
including credit card information, and the items they wish to
purchase. This system will then monitor the information found at
various vendor web sites and complete the desired transaction at
the moment the merchandise becomes available, thereby eliminating
the need for the consumer to stand in line or constantly monitor
the vendor web sites waiting for the right moment to make the
desired purchase.
[0005] The exemplary embodiment of this invention includes: (i) a
remote terminal for use by a consumer; (ii) an on-line purchasing
system, wherein the system further includes a system database in
communication with the remote terminal for storing both consumer
information and ticket and merchandise information; (iii) a user
interface between the remote terminal and the on-line purchasing
system for allowing the exchange of information and commands
between the remote terminal and the on-line purchasing system; (iv)
at least one source system in communication with the on-line
purchasing system for allowing vendors of tickets or merchandise to
sell items on-line, wherein the source system further includes a
source database for storing current ticket and merchandise
information; (v) a communication interface between the on-line
purchasing system and the source system for allowing data exchange
between the systems; (vi) software means for allowing the on-line
purchasing system to monitor the source system for current ticket
or merchandise information and communicate the information back to
the on-line purchasing system; (vii) software means for allowing
the on-line purchasing system to execute the purchase of tickets or
merchandise from the source system based on the current
information; and (viii) software means for allowing the source
system to communicate with the remote terminal to indicate the
completion of the purchase to the consumer.
[0006] Further advantages of the present invention will become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and
understanding the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and
form a part of the specification, schematically illustrate one or
more exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together With the
general description given above and detailed description of the
preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles
of the invention.
[0008] FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating the system topology and
associated external systems utilized by the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationships between
the various entities to the transactions enabled by the present
invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the "activity tracking"
component of the system and method of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the "check sales status"
function of the system and method of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the process of "logging
in" to the system and method of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the "activity search"
function of the system and method of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the "activity purchase"
aspect of the system and method of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention provides an Internet based system and
method for purchasing tickets or merchandise based on customer
pre-registration and prioritization. With reference to the Figures,
FIG. 1 illustrates, in graphic form, an exemplary embodiment of the
system topology and the associated external systems. FIG. 1
discloses the system and methods for pre-registering transactional
and contact information. This information lies dormant while the
Invented System 103 monitors for and ultimately purchases an
on-line product, on-line tickets to an event or movie, or registers
the customer 100 for an on-line course registration on behalf of
the customer 100, at the moment that the product or event posts for
public sale. The automated software that carries out this function
is referred to herein as a `BOT` 104.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, a customer 100, with a computer 101,
that has access to the Internet 102, can access the Invented System
103, which comprises a client interface, a server, and one or more
source or vendor databases. System 103, at pre-defined intervals,
will seek and extract database information from various Source
Systems 105. Once the customer or end-user of system 103, has
registered for an event or to purchase a product by means of the
Invented System 103, the relevant information is stored within the
system until the event is posted for public sale on the Source
System 105. When the relevant information is posted on the Source
System, BOT 104 automatically executes the transaction through the
Source System 105.
[0017] Upon Source Order Fulfillment within the Source System 105,
an automated email notification 106, is sent to the customer 100.
This notification includes a message indicating that the Invented
System 103, has made the desired purchase and that the customer
will, or should be, be receiving an email from the Source System
regarding the completed transaction. This notification may also
include a disclaimer indicating that the Invented System 103 has
completed its intended function and from this point forward, the
relationship and any binding purchase agreement is between the
customer 100, and the Source System 105, and should any problems
arise, the Source System 105 should be contacted for
assistance.
[0018] Upon successful execution of the Source Order Fulfillment
within the Source System 105, the customer 100, will be charged a
monetary fee by Invented System 103. The fee aspect of the
transaction will be processed by a Credit Card Institution 107
using the same credit card information used for the actual purchase
through Source System 105. In the exemplary embodiment, the fee is
not charged to the customer if the transaction does not actually
occur.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates the relationships between the various
entities to the transactions enabled by the present invention. Upon
accessing System 103, the customer 100 has the option to either
perform an Activity Search 200 or Login 201. The customer wishing
to immediately begin an Activity Search 200 will have access to
information stored within the Activities Database 205, which
includes, in the exemplary embodiment, categories such as Events,
Movies Shopping, Course Registration or any other items for sale
that are offered to the public, on-line, on a `first come, first
served` basis. This Activities Database 205 gathers its information
by means of an Activity Tracking software module that is executed
at various pre-defined intervals and extracts information from the
External Source System 207, also referred to as the Source System
105.
[0020] If the customer expresses interest in a particular event or
product offered by the Invented System 103, the customer is
transferred to the Login 201 screen. Upon successful Login, the
customer's basic information, e.g. contact, user and financial, is
stored in the secured Customer Database 202. Once the customer
pre-registers for an event or product, the event information and
purchasing status is also available for viewing by the customer as
this data is also stored within the secured Customer Database
202.
[0021] Another automated software module, which is executed in
intervals, is the Check Sales Status 203 (see FIG. 4). This
software module, when executed, scans the Customer Database 202 for
all pending Customer Purchases with a `PREREG` status while also
doing a time check with the listed scheduled date and time in which
the product of event will be posted for public sale. If it is time
to make the purchase, the information is then transferred to the
Purchase Activity 204 where the transaction is then executed, on
behalf of the customer, with the External Source System 207.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the activity tracking feature of the
present invention is embedded within System 103. At a
pre-determined interval, Start Activity Tracking module 300, will
execute. When this feature engages, it performs a
comparison/deviation check between the Source System 105 database
information, and previously extracted information stored and
offered within the System 103 database.
[0023] For the Event Ticket Source System 301, the Start Activity
Tracking module 300, will send a request to the Event Ticket
Sellers Source Web site 302 and gather information about every
event offered. For each event, Start Activity Tracking module 300
will execute the "Is The Event New?" query 303. If the answer is in
the affirmative, the system will store the event information on the
Activities Database and Events Table 304 within System 103. The
"Has Event Information Changed?" 305 query determines whether
previously stored information has changed. If so, the system will
over-write previously stored information and any customers that had
pre-registered for an event where relevant information has been
added, updated or changed, will receive and update to their
Invented System Customer Database/Activity Pre-Reg Table 306 to
reflect the changed information. An automatically generated email
will be sent describing the change that has occurred.
[0024] Once the Start Activity Tracking module 300 completes its
scan of the Event Ticket Sellers Source Web Site 302, it will
proceed to check the remaining categories with their relative
Source System Web Sites, e.g. Movie Tickets 308, Merchandise
Sellers 314, Course Registrations or other such applicable Source
Systems.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the Start Check Sales Status 401 module
is an automated feature within System 103. At a pre-defined
interval, this feature is executed. Upon execution, the module
accesses the Customer Database Activity PREREG Table 403. The Start
Check Sales Status module 401 seeks two specific fields 402 (i)
where the Purchase Status is set to `PREREG,` meaning the customer
100 has entered all required transactional information necessary
for the Invented System to complete the transaction with the Source
System 105 on behalf of the customer, and (ii) Purchase Time,
meaning the date and time that the event is slated to be posted for
public sale on the Source System 105. A formula is generated in
order to execute the purchase at some time variable, just prior to
the projected public sale posting to ensure that the transaction
takes place the moment that the event or product is offered (in
case the Source System 105 releases the access to the product or
event a bit earlier than made aware to the public).
[0026] When the Start Check Sales Status 401 module retrieves this
information, it checks the System Date and Time stored within the
Customer Database Activity PREREG Table, against the server with
local variable Purchase Time 402. The decision to purchase occurs
at "Is It Time to Trigger the Purchase Function?" 404; if not, this
automation feature will go to sleep 405, until it is time for the
next interval to execute. If it is time to purchase the stored
event or product, the information is then processed through the
Purchase Activity (see FIG. 7) 406, then End Check Sales Status
407.
[0027] With reference to FIG. 5, once the user elects to Login 500,
they are taken through a series of prompts. The first prompt is,
"Are You A Current Registered User?" 501. If the answer is yes, the
user Enters Login Information 502. Once the user Information is
entered, System 103 will validate the information 503 and will then
Verify User 504 by checking entered information against previously
entered information within the Customer Database User Information
Table 505. The next prompt is "Is Authentic User Name/Password?"
506. If no, the user is re-directed to "User Enters Login
Information" 502. If yes, the next prompt is "Was the User Referred
to Login from a Search?" 507. If yes, the user will be "Returned to
Previous Search" 509. If no, the user will be taken to the "New
Search" 508 page of System 103.
[0028] If the user is not a Current Registered User, the User
Enters Registration Information 510. System 103 will then validate
Registration Information 511, then create the New Customer 512
record and will store user Information within the Customer Database
User Information Table 515. System 103 will then Display New User
Name 513 and will then carry user over to the previously mentioned
"Referred to Login from Search?" 507 following the same process
chain from there as previously described.
[0029] The Activity Search function disclosed in FIG. 6 illustrates
how a customer 100, or potential customer, can maneuver through the
System 103 Web Site. The user begins by executing the Start
Activity Tracking 600 feature which takes the user to a series of
required fields of input. The "User Enters Search Criteria" 601,
which "Queries Activities Database" 604 and returns and displays
matching activity "Details to the User" 602. The user then chooses
"Activity To Pre-Register, Purchase Tickets, or Search Again"
603.
[0030] If the user selects to pre-register or purchase they are
sent to the Disclaimers for Purchasing Tickets 605. Upon review and
acceptance of the Disclaimers For Purchasing Tickets 605, the user
is asked if they are logged in? 608. If not, they are sent to the
Login Screen (see FIG. 5) 609. Once the user validates and logs in
they are re-directed to the Log Customer Order 610 section within
the Invented System 103. Upon execution of the function, the
Activity Pre-Reg. information, Customer Information, and Expected
Sales Date for Activity are stored within the Customer Database
Activity Pre-Reg Table 611 (i.e., purchase status is entered as
`PREREG`). In the event that the described event is already posted
for public sale, and the customer wishes to continue with a
purchase, they are directly transferred to the Purchase Activity
page 613. If the user chooses to search again 606 they are
re-directed to Start Activity Search 600. If the user decides not
to perform another search, then they are directed to System Home
Page 607.
[0031] With reference to FIG. 7, if called for by the Check Sales
Status (see FIG. 4) or by the Activity Search (see FIG. 6) 700, the
transactional information is carried forward to Start Purchase
Tickets 701. System 103 verifies "Activity Currently For Sale" 702
by accessing the Activity Information within the Source System
Database and Website 703 to verify that the product or event is
actually posted for public sale at "Is Activity For Sale?" 704. If
not, the function will sleep 705 for a specified interval before
re-attempting execution of the Purchase Activity command. If yes,
the system will proceed to Make Purchase 706, where System 103 will
extract transactional information from Customer Database User
Information Table 708 and execute the necessary commands within the
Payment Information area of the Source System 707. Upon completion
and confirmation of the Purchase on behalf of the customer, System
103 will "Handle Payment of User Of Invented System" 709, by
applying specified and previously agreed upon charges to the same
credit card used to make the event or product purchase. This
information is then sent to the proper Credit Card Processing
Institution 710, where the money would then be issued to the Bank
Account of the System 711.
[0032] Following the steps enumerated above, System 103 then
"Updates Customer Information and Send Notification" 712, changes
Purchase Status to `BOUGHT` within the Customer Database Activity
PREREG Table 713, and "Sends Customer Notification" (email, letter,
notice to Customer Rep, etc.) 714. If, for some reason, the attempt
to purchase the event or product for the user fails, an
automatically generated email will be sent to the user with
possible explanations for errors and an error history will also be
stored within the Invented System for tracking, statistical, or
action purposes. The process terminates at "End Purchase Tickets"
715.
[0033] While the above description contains many specificities,
these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the
invention, but rather as exemplification of certain preferred
embodiments. Numerous other variations of the present invention are
possible, and is not intended herein to mention all of the possible
equivalent forms or ramifications of this invention. Various
changes may be made to the present invention without departing from
the scope or spirit of the invention.
* * * * *