Methods and systems for access control using a networked turnstele

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ACCESS CONTROL USING A NETWORKED TURNSTILE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 60/873,324, filed December 7, 2006, the content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED R&D [0002] Not Applicable

PARTIES OF JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT [0003] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, TABLE, OR COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING [0004] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention [0005] The present invention is related to access control, and in particular, to access control to a venue or other location using a networked system.

Description of the Related Art [0006] Conventionally, when a user purchases several admissions for a given event, the ticket issuer issues a separate ticket for each admission. Each ticket needs to be distributed by the purchaser to the intended ticket recipients. Disadvantageously, each ticket then needs to be separately inspected or scanned at a venue entry point. Certain ticketing systems instead provide a single ticket for all event admissions purchased by a user. Via such a system, the ticket purchaser and the intended beneficiaries of the ticket admissions disadvantageously need to be together when accessing a venue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] Certain embodiments relate to access control, such as to a venue or other location. In addition, certain embodiments relate to ticket assignment and issuance. Still further, certain embodiments relate to the splitting of a ticket good for multiple event admissions into two or more tickets.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] Figure 1 illustrates a first example networked system.

[0009] Figure 2 illustrates a second example networked system.

[0010] Figure 3 illustrates a first ticket purchase and issuance example process.

[0011] Figure 4A illustrates an example venue admission process.

[0012] Figure 4B illustrates another example venue admission process.

[0013] Figure 5 illustrates a first example user interface.

[0014] Figure 6 illustrates an example ticket,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0015] The present invention is related to access control, and in particular, to access control to a venue or other location.

[0016] Certain conventional ticketing systems issue a separate ticket for each admission to an event purchased by a user. For example, if a user purchases 10 admissions to an event, the user will be issued 10 tickets. Disadvantageously, having to keep track of 10 tickets makes it more likely that the user will lose a ticket. Further, the user will have to distribute the tickets to the intended ticket recipients. In addition, when the user and the user’s 9 other friends wish to gain admission, a total of 10 tickets will need to be inspected and/or scanned, slowing the admission process and necessitating more access control personnel and/or equipment.

[0017] Certain other conventional ticketing systems issue a single ticket for all the event admissions purchased by a user for a given event. Disadvantageously, all those that are to use the ticket to gain admission need to be together when seeking admission to the event venue.

[0018] To overcome some or all of the foregoing disadvantages, an example embodiment enables a single ticket to be issued to a user for multiple admissions to an event, for single or multiple admissions to multiple events (e.g., multiple sporting events, such as a season ticket that provides multiple admissions to multiple games), for multiple admissions to one or more reserved areas (e.g., a VIP lounger, a club, parking spaces, etc.), and further enables the user to then split the ticket into multiple tickets (physical and/or electronic) and have one or more of the multiple tickets provided to other attendees associated with the user. Thus, optionally, the number of separate tickets issued when a user purchases multiple event admissions and/or thereafter can be controlled by the user,

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PCT/US2007/086651 the ticket issuer and/or by a recipient of a ticket purchased by the user. Further, the number of admissions, associated with the one or more ticket(s), may be modified after the original issuance.

[0019] The allocation of admissions/seat assignments may be performed by the user remote from an event venue (e.g., via a Web page accessed from their personal computer, phone, etc.) and/or at the venue. For example, when the user purchases admissions via a ticketing website admissions for multiple events (or multiple groups of seats within the same event), the admissions may be 'attached'/assigned to a machine readable media/document/device, which can act as a ticket. When the media is presented and read at the venue (e.g., via an optical, magnetic, radio frequency, or I/O port reader/scanner as appropriate) the user is presented (e.g., visually via a terminal, such as touch screen terminal, a print out, or by a human gate keeper providing information) with a corresponding list of events/seat blocks. The corresponding list of events/seats block is optionally limited to those events and seats that currently 'active', such as those events/unused seat blocks at the current venue at the current time.

[0020] The user selects the desired event/seat block (e.g., by providing a corresponding input to the terminal or by informing a human gate keeper) and is then asked how many individuals are actually entering at this time. The appropriate number of people are then admitted to the event venue (e.g., by a human or automated gate keeper, such as a turnstile or other gate), and an indication is stored in computer readable memory indicating how many people associated with the ticket entered and how many admissions are left.

[0021] Throughout the following description, the term “Web site” is used to refer to a user-accessible server site that implements the basic World Wide Web standards for the coding and transmission of hypertextual documents. These standards currently include HTML (the Hypertext Markup Language) and HTTP (the Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It should be understood that the term “site” is not intended to imply a single geographic location, as a Web or other network site can, for example, include multiple geographically-distributed computer systems that are appropriately linked together. Furthermore, while the following description relates to an embodiment utilizing the Internet and related protocols, other networks, such as networked interactive televisions, and other protocols may be used as well.

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PCT/US2007/086651 [0022] In addition, unless otherwise indicated, the functions described herein are preferably performed by software including executable code/program instructions running on one or more general-purpose computers. The computers can include one or more central processing units (CPUs) that execute program code and process data, memory, including one or more of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) for temporarily storing data and data structures during program execution, nonvolatile memory, such as a hard disc drive, optical drive, or FLASH drive, for storing programs and data, including databases, which may be referred to as a “system database,” and a network interface for accessing an intranet and/or Internet. In addition, the computers can include a display for displaying user interfaces, data, and the like, and one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, pointing device, microphone and/or the like, used to navigate, provide commands, enter information, provide search queries, and/or the like. However, the present invention can also be implemented using special purpose computers, terminals, state machines, and/or hardwired electronic circuits. In addition, the example processes described herein do not necessarily have to be performed in the described sequence, and not all states have to be reached or performed.

[0023] Further, while the term “barcodes” (e.g., linear barcodes, stacked barcodes, matrix barcodes, etc.) and “barcode scanning” may be utilized herein as examples of information and identification encoding and retrieval techniques, other information bearing techniques and corresponding scanning or reading techniques can be used as well. By way of example, other computer readable visual indicia (e.g., dots, concentric circles, text codes hidden within images, text readable using optical character recognition systems, etc.), which may in certain cases be human readable, and other scanners/image capture devices can be used. For example, a scanner/image capture device can be a laser scanner (e.g., including light source, a lens and a photo conductor translating optical impulses into electrical ones), a still frame camera, a video capture device, etc.

[0024] By way of further example, magnetic stripes, non-volatile memory, smart chips, wireless transceivers coupled to memory, and/or the like can be used to store information/codes, including ticket identification information, seat information, event information, ticket holder information, ticket issuer information, and the like.

[0025] While the following description may refer to “clicking on” a link or button, or pressing a key in order to provide a command or make a selection, the

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PCT/US2007/086651 commands or selections can also be made using other input techniques, such as using voice input, pen input, mousing or hovering over an input area, and/or the like. Further, the term “button” as referred to herein can include both software-generated buttons displayed on a screen and physical keyboard buttons, as appropriate.

[0026] Certain example embodiments enable a ticket purchaser to receive or access a physical ticket (e.g., paper stock, plastic, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, optical media, etc.) and/or an electronic ticket (e.g., an admission associated with a driver’s license, a credit card, a loyalty/membership card, a numerical code, or an admission code transmitted to a user device, such as a mobile phone, a portable computer, or other device). The ticket may include a barcode (or other computer optically or electronically readable indicia), which indicates that the ticket entitles a designated number of people to enter a designated event/venue (e.g., at a designated time). The ticket may also include indicia that indicate which seats are assigned to the bearer of the ticket. The ticket purchaser (or other authorized person) can then request that the ticket be split into multiple tickets that can be distributed to individual ticket holders designated by the ticket purchaser (or other authorized person), and that are valid for individual entries or for other subset of the originally designated number of people.

[0027] By way of illustration, in an example ticket transaction, a user purchases the rights to 10 seats for a given event. A single ticket can be issued to the user that indicates (e.g., via a barcode and/or human readable indicia, via a magnetic stripe, via an RFID tag, via semiconductor memory, and/or otherwise) that ticket holder and 9 people accompanying the ticket holder should be granted admission to an event. Thus, if the user attempts to access an event for the venue for which the ticket was issued, the user and 9 other attendees accompanying the user would be granted access to the event.

[0028] Optionally, multiple forms of tickets (a barcode and/or human readable indicia, a card or other carrier including a magnetic stripe storing an electronic ticket or ticket locator, an RFID tag storing an electronic ticket or ticket locator, etc.) may be provided for the same seat or the same sets of seats. For example, optionally a user may use a RFID tag (storing providing the appropriate identifier) and/or a printed ticket to enter venue. Optionally, multiple forms of tickets may be required to enter a venue or specific areas in a venue. For example, both a printed ticket and the credit card that was used for the purchase (and/or a driver’s license) may be required for the entrance to the venue.

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PCT/US2007/086651 [0029] For example, if the ticket includes a barcode, a magnetic stripe, and/or other computer readable medium, encoded with the data, such as the number of admissions, and/or encoded with a code that can be used to access a corresponding database record indicating the number of admissions the holder is entitled to, the ticket can be scanned by an appropriate scanner/reader (e.g., a barcode reader, a magnetic stripe reader, optical character recognition system that converts human readable characters into computer readable data, etc.). The scanner/reader reads the encoded data, decodes the data and optionally displays the number of admissions to operator/security personnel on an electronic display (e.g., an LCD, OLED, plasma, CRT, projection display system, or other display system) who can then admit the appropriate number of people. Optionally, in addition or instead, the scanner can be coupled to a turnstile or other entry control device (e.g., which allows one person to pass at a time or other designated number of people to pass at a time). The entry control device optionally prevents additional people from entering unless additional authorization is received from the scanner or other source.

[0030] Optionally, after the ticket is scanned or otherwise read, a printer coupled to the scanner prints out or otherwise provides a hardcopy ticket (e.g., a paper ticket) or a ticket displayed via a portable electronic device, such as a mobile phone, to each person associated with the scanned ticket. For example, if the scanned ticket indicates that it authorizes the admission of 7 people, then 7 tickets may be printed/transmitted and provided to the corresponding people. These tickets optionally include a seat/section identifier and/or the person’s name that are human readable. The hardcopy tickets (or electronic or other forms of tickets) may be used to gain access to certain restricted area and/or to reenter the venue if the ticket holder has left the venue. A special/separate barcode is optionally provided for such access. The ticket may also entitle the holder to access certain areas of the venue (e.g., a VIP area, certain designated seating areas, etc.), or obtain certain concessions (e.g., food).

[0031] An example of “splitting” a ticket will now be described. By way of illustration, a user purchases the rights to 10 seats for a given event. As described in the above example, a single ticket can be issued to the user that indicates (e.g., via a barcode and/or human readable indicia, via a magnetic stripe, via an RFID tag, via semiconductor memory, and/or otherwise) that 10 people accompanying the holder of the ticket should be granted admission to an event. In this example, prior to using the ticket to gain

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PCT/US2007/086651 admission, the user indicates that he wants the ticket to be divided into two or more tickets.

[0032] For example, the user can specify, via a ticketing Web site user interface hosted by a ticketing system (or other interface, such as an interactive voice response (IVR) system), that a separate ticket is to be issued for one of the seats to a designated recipient. Optionally, the user can specify which seat the designated recipient is to be allocated if the event is a reserved seating event. The designated seat is then removed from the pool of seats associated with the ticket issued to the user. The ticket issued to the user in this instance entitles 9 people accompanying the ticket to admission to the event. The ticket issued to the designated recipient entitles the recipient to one entry for the designated seat, if any. Optionally, the foregoing actions can be performed at the event venue, such as when the ticket holder is being accompanied by other people that are seeking admission via the ticket. Optionally, the system enables the user to specify combinations producing more than n tickets for n seats where admission is permitted on a first come first serve basis. Thus, for example, a user may purchase 5 seats for an event, and issue 7 tickets for the 5 seats, where only the first five to show up to the event will be admitted and/or given an assigned seat.

[0033] The foregoing are illustrative examples. By way of further example, optionally, the user can specify that 10 separate tickets are to be issued to 10 designated recipients.

[0034] By way of further example, a user can purchase an event ticket associated with 10 admissions. When the user seeks admission at the event venue, the number of people (up to 10) being admitted with the user is deducted from the admissions associated with the ticket. If there are remaining admissions associated with the ticket, then the user may send or provide tickets (which may be in the form of electronic or physical/hardcopy tickets) to others so that the remaining number of admissions for the event can be used. For example, the user can email, SMS, or MMS an admission code or a link to an admission code to one or more people (e.g., to their email account, phone, etc.), who can then use the code (or a ticket corresponding to the code) to gain admission to the event venue.

[0035] In an example embodiment, optionally, the “original user/ticket purchaser” may have transmitted the code to other users prior to the original user seeking admission to the event. Optionally, the system does not activate the code sent to other

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PCT/US2007/086651 users until the original user (e.g., the ticket purchaser or someone authorized by the ticket purchaser) is admitted using the user ticket. Then, the code is enabled and other users may be granted admission on a first come, first serve basis until the admissions purchased for the event by the ticket purchaser are used up. Optionally, the original user can send different codes (or cause different codes/tickets to be sent) to corresponding different recipients, wherein a given code/ticket is associated with a seat selected by the original user from the seats purchased by the original user.

[0036] Optionally, the ticket system operator or other authorized personnel can limit the number of admissions that can be associated with a single ticket and/or limit how the ticket may be split. For example, a venue operator may consider it impractical to have more the 6 admissions associated with a ticket, and so provide the ticket issuer with an instruction (e.g., via phone, over a network, via a conventional letter, or otherwise) that no more than 6 admissions are to be associated with a ticket user. The instruction can be provided by a system operator via a user interface hosted by a computer system, stored in the ticketing system memory (e.g., in a customer database), and retrieved when issuing tickets to a user. Thus, for example, if a user wants to purchase 10 tickets, the user would be issued two tickets, each good for admission for 5 people. In other examples, the tickets do not have to have the same number of associated admissions. For example, if a user wants to purchase 10 tickets, the user could specify the admissions-to-ticket allocation or the system can specify the allocation. For example, the user or system can specify that a first ticket is to be associated with 4 admissions, and a second ticket is to be associated with 6 admissions.

[0037] The system optionally enables a user (e.g., a ticket purchaser) to submit (e.g., enter into a Web form) certain details (e.g., issuance date, expiration date, alphanumerical identifier, issuer identifier, etc.) for an existing machine readable media (credit card(s), drivers license(s), loyalty cards, or other media), and the admission(s) may be linked (associated) to the media in a database. When the media is read by the system, the seat identifier(s)/number of admissions, ticket holder and ticket purchaser information may be retrieved.

[0038] Optionally, a system operator can specify that a given number of admissions can only be assigned to a specified maximum and/or minimum number of tickets (e.g., admission barcodes). For example, a specification can be stored that indicates that a given ticket admission order can only be split into two tickets (or other

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PCT/US2007/086651 designated number of tickets). Thus, in this example, if a user purchases 6 admissions, the user can only allocate the 6 admissions among two tickets.

[0039] The system optionally monitors a user’s “split” instruction (provided via a user interface), and if the user attempts to enter allocation numbers that combined are greater than the number of purchased admissions (or violates some other allocation restriction), the user is so notified by the system via the user interface and is asked to reenter the split numbers. For example, if a user purchased 9 admissions and then attempted to allocate 5 admissions to a first barcode and 5 admissions to a second barcode, the user is notified that the attempted allocation of 10 total admissions exceeds the 9 admissions that were purchased. The user is further instructed to reenter the allocations. Optionally, the user is provided a ticket allocation menu which only includes permitted allocations.

[0040] Optionally, a user is enabled to associate a certain number of admission rights to a relatively greater number of users. For example, a user may purchase a group season ticket of 10 seats for a season (e.g., associated with games at a venue of a specified team, plays at a theater, concerts at a concert hall, etc.) and associate the ticket with 20 specified users (e.g., by associating their names, drivers’ licenses, credit cards, etc.). Then, for a given season event (e.g., a game, play concert), up to 10 of the 20 users can attend using the ticket.

[0041] An account is optionally associated with the group ticket which one or more of the users can be authorized to access and to modify certain account information. A user interface is provided via which the user who initially purchased the ticket (or other designated person, such as a person designated by the initial purchaser) can specify which other users are authorized to access the account and/or assign event admissions to the group’s users. Thus, in this example, the assigning user can assign up to 10 admissions for a given event by selecting the desired 10 (out of 20) users via the user interface. For example, the user interface may list the events associated with the ticket account. The user can select a given event. The user interface presents the names (or other identifiers) associated with the group.

[0042] Optionally, the ticket purchaser is requested to or can offer to provide contact information (e.g., a physical address, an email address, an SMS/MMS address, a phone address, and/or instant messaging address) for the ticket purchaser and ticket recipients (e.g., designated recipients that are to be issued tickets that grant admission). A

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PCT/US2007/086651 ticket can then be sent to a ticket recipient to a designated recipient address in electronic and/or physical form.

[0043] By way of example, as similarly discussed above, a ticket can be an electronic ticket transmitted to the user/recipient over a network (e.g., via email to the ticket purchaser/recipient terminal, downloaded from a Web site by the ticket purchaser/recipient via a browser, transmitted to a wireless cell phone, etc.) with one or more embedded seat identifiers/number of admissions, ticket holder identifier, ticket purchaser identifier and/or a unique ticket identifier.

[0044] Should an event or service corresponding to a ticket be cancelled or postponed, optionally the ticket purchaser and/or each designated recipient is notified via a message transmitted to an address associated with the notification recipient. For example, the notification can be transmitted via email, SMS message, MMS message, instant message, phone, letter/postcard, and/or via other communications.

[0045] Figure 1 illustrates example hardware components and example software components that can be invoked during the processes described herein. An example ticketing system operated by a ticket processing service or other entity can include one or more ticketing servers 102A, account manager servers 108A, a credit card authorization system 106A, a network 104A (which can be an intranet or the Internet or other data network), and a router 116A. The ticketing system can host a Web site accessible by users for purchasing, selling, splitting, consolidating, and/or transferring tickets. The Web site may optionally include content that spans multiple Internet domains, and/or may be implemented using physical servers that are geographically remote from one another. A legal engine optionally resides on one or more of the foregoing systems to ensure that ticket postings and sales comply with applicable governmental or other regulations (e.g., security related regulations, anti-scalping laws, etc.).

[0046] As depicted, users access the ticket processor ticketing system over the Internet 110A (or other network, such as an interactive television network) using respective terminals 112A, 114A, which can be personal computers. In addition or alternatively, users can access the ticketing system via other general-purpose computers that have access to the Internet, via networked personal digital assistants, phones, interactive televisions, or other user terminal types. The user terminals 112A, 114A optionally execute commercially-available Web browser applications, such as those which

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PCT/US2007/086651 implement the basic World Wide Web standards such as HTTP and HTML, or other types of applications that access data from networked sites.

[0047] The user terminals 112A, 114A may also host/execute or provide access to email applications, such as Microsoft Outlook®, which may be used to receive communications from and send communications to the ticketing system. The e-mail application and the browser may be integrated with one another, and/or may be integrated with other application programs or the operating system. The terminals 112A, 114A can include displays, keyboards, memory storage devices, printers, network interfaces, and the like. The user terminals 112A, 114A can also be configured to receive SMS/MMS and/or instant messaging communications.

[0048] The ticket processing ticketing system can include one or more databases, such as a user account database, that stores some or all of the following: user contact information, billing information, identification information/codes (e.g., driver license number, passport number, date of birth, city of birth, mother’s maiden name, pet name, etc.), copies of identification documents (e.g., electronic copies of a driver license, state identification card, etc), preferences, account status, a database of user contacts (e.g., including the names and contact information for friends, family, and/or business associates), biometric data (e.g., a fingerprint, a voice scan, a vein scan, a palm scan, image data, etc.) and the like, that can be accessed by other portions of the ticketing system, such as by account manager servers 108 A.

[0049] Similarly, one or more ticket databases accessible by the ticketing system can include ticket information records for tickets, including barcode information, event name (or event names where there are multiple events associated with the ticket), event date(s), seat identifier(s), ticket holder name(s) or other identifier of a current ticket holder or holders, names or other identifiers of past holders of the ticket, ticket purchaser name or other identifier of most recent ticket purchaser, names or other identifiers of past purchasers of the ticket, an indication as to how many admissions for one or more events are associated with a given ticket, an indication as to how many events are associated with a given ticket, an indication as to whether a ticket has been divided out or combined (e.g., that the number of admissions associated with a ticket has been decreased or increased), an indication as to how many separate tickets for an event are associated with an identified user, a ticket valid/invalid indicator, and an indicator as to whether the ticket has been used, an indicator regarding how many admissions associated with the ticket

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PCT/US2007/086651 have been used, an indicator as to whether the ticket purchaser (or someone designated by the ticket purchaser) has been admitted to a ticketed event, an indicator as to whether tickets/codes sent by or on behalf of the ticket purchaser are enabled, etc.

[0050] As further depicted by Figure 1, a ticket issuer, which can be a sports team, venue operator, ticketing agency, or the like, accesses the ticketing system via the router 116A. The ticket issuer can have a ticket issuer ticket system 120A that hosts an application, such as Ticketmaster’s commercially available Archtics™ application, that is used to define events, set ticket prices, set ticket issuance rules (e.g., including an indication as to the restrictions, if any, on how many admissions and/or events can be associated with a ticket), and/or provide real-time integration with the ticket processor ticketing system. In addition, via the system 120 A, the ticket issuer can optionally define customized invoices, tickets, receipts, labels, and other correspondence. The system 120A optionally allows the ticket issuer to define at least portions of the Web pages or other user interfaces that will be displayed to users, such as by defining logos, fonts, colors, and the like.

[0051] The system 120A is connected to an intranet and/or the Internet 118A to thereby access the router 116A, access management system 122A, and to receive data from a reading device 124A (e.g., a barcode scanner, a character reader, a smart card reader, an RFID reader, etc.) that optionally scans tickets (which can be a physical ticket or an electronic ticket, such as one stored in a mobile phone and displayed by a mobile phone display) or otherwise receives ticket information (ticket codes, ticket holder codes, and/or ticket purchaser codes) from a user ticket-bearing device. The reader 124A optionally is also configured to read one or more types of identification devices (e.g., driver license magnetic stripe, passport RFID tags, etc.). The reader 124A optionally includes a biometric scanner configured to read one or more physical attributes of a ticket holder (e.g., fingerprint, palm, veins, retina, voice, face, body, etc.).

[0052] The access management system 122A, an example of which is the server-based Access Manager™ system that is commercially available from Ticketmaster, is used to authenticate tickets proffered at an event venue, and optionally to determine how many admissions and/or events the ticket entitles a user to. Optionally, the access management system 122A provides a user interface (e.g., displayed to the user or other operator via a terminal) via which the user can indicate how many admissions associated with a ticket the user wants to utilize (e.g., for those physical accompanying the user)

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PCT/US2007/086651 and/or if any admissions are to be transferred/sent to others, and if so, how (e.g., via an email, SMS, or MMS address specified by the user).

[0053] If an invalid ticket (or other media) is presented (read/scanned) for entry, a notification or alert to that effect is optionally provided to a gate keeper and transmitted to one or more security terminals 128A. The access management system 122A is optionally coupled to a turnstile 130A. The access management system 122A optionally enables the turnstile 130A to turn or otherwise admit an appropriate number of people to a venue corresponding to if a valid ticket, or media is presented (e.g., where the ticket is read or scanned and authenticated). The management system 122A optionally also receives an indication as to when and/or how many people have passed through the turnstile 130. Once the appropriate number of people has passed through the tumstile(s), the turnstiles will not turn or otherwise admit additional attendees until further authorization to do so is received. A venue optionally has a plurality of turnstiles 130 and/or reading devices 124A.

[0054] Optionally, the reading (e.g., scanning) may be monitored and/or performed by the gate keeper/ticket taker. After the barcode (or other indicia) is read/scanned (e.g., a group barcode), the system 122A displays (e.g., via a handheld or fixed terminal) the number of remaining entrances allowed for the group ticket and prevents or instructs someone to prevent additional members of the group (if any) from entering once the number reaches zero. If a networked turnstile is used, the ticket taker may enter the number of entrances in the handheld terminal, and the system “opens” the turnstile the appropriate number of times for the appropriate number of admissions. Optionally instead, the ticket-taker may scan the same barcode for each attendee associated with the barcode (e.g., 10 times for 10 attendees associated with the group ticket).

[0055] The access management system 122A enables a user (e.g., a ticket purchaser and/or a system operator) to 'de-authorize' or modify the number of entries for a specific indicia. For example, if a ticket purchaser has “attached” her tickets to an RFID card and subsequently lost the card, the number encoded in the card could be 'deauthorized' and the ticket re-issued to another indicia.

[0056] The access management system 122A can optionally generate reports tracking attendance, entry traffic by time, intervals, rejected admission attempts, and admissions by entry point, ticket type and/or price code when applicable.

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PCT/US2007/086651 [0057] By way of example, the ticket issuer ticketing system 120 A generates ticket barcodes and/or human readable data. Optionally, each event/seat(s)/print-count combination is associated with a unique barcode. A print count is the number of times tickets for an individual seat location has been issued. Optionally, a ticket is also associated with a ticket holder whose name and/or other identification information is provided on the ticket in barcode, magnetic, solid state memory, and/or human readable format.

[0058] The ticket issuer (or its agent) sells tickets, such as concert or sporting event tickets, in the form of single event tickets (where a ticket can optionally authorized multiple admissions to an event) or season tickets, to a first user, either directly or via the ticketing service ticket processing system. For example, the first user can initiate and complete the purchase via the user terminal 114A and can further authorize payment via a credit card, debit charge, or otherwise. The first user can then use the terminal 114A to post, via the account manager 108 A, one or more of the tickets for sale on the Web site hosted by the ticketing system or to assign the tickets to another (e.g., as a gift). A record of the posting can be stored in the ticket database, which can be stored on the ticketing system 120A, the account manager servers 108A, and/or the ticketing servers 102A. As discussed above, the first user optionally can instruct the system to send a purchased ticket to a recipient.

[0059] A second user can initiate, authorize payment, and complete a purchase of one or more of the posted tickets via the user terminal 112A. If the second user is paying by credit card, the credit card authorization system 106A checks to make sure the credit card is authorized and has not exceeded its credit limit. The system can also receive and verify other identification data provided by the second user for the second user and/or for others to whom the second user is allocating tickets. The ticketing system 120A invalidates the first user’s admission rights and the original ticket for which admission rights have been purchased by the second user. An invalidation indicator is stored in association with the barcode information in the ticketing system database, as well as in a database associated with the access management system 122A. Thus, if someone tries to use the original, first user’s ticket to access the corresponding event or game, the original ticket’s barcode will be scanned using the barcode reader 124A. The access management system 122A will compare the scanned barcode information with that stored in the access management system database, and via the invalidation indication

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PCT/US2007/086651 determine that the ticket has been invalidated or cancelled. The holder of the original ticket can then be denied entry to the event. If the first user had one or more tickets issued to recipients corresponding to the original ticket, then those tickets are invalidated as well. A notification is optionally sent by the ticketing system to the ticket recipients regarding the invalidation of their tickets.

[0060] If only a portion of the admissions associated with a ticket has been resold, then optionally a new ticket is issued to the ticket recipient that is associated with a reduced number of admissions. In such a case, the number of admissions associated with the original tickets may be reduced to the appropriate number of admissions (e.g., as indicated by corresponding admissions data stored in a database in association with a ticket identifier). Thus, the original barcode is not invalidated as a whole, but the number of allowed admissions may be reduced. Optionally instead, a new barcode may be generated for the original purchaser and the original barcode is invalidated/associated with zero admissions.

[0061] Optionally, two or more of the ticketing servers 102A, account manager servers 108A, credit card authorization system 106A, ticketing system 120A, and access management system 122A, can be co-located and/or hosted by the same computer system.

[0062] As similarly discussed above, an example ticket delivery option that can be used by the system illustrated in Figure 1 is electronic delivery. By way of example, electronic delivery can send or deliver a ticket, or a manifestation of a ticket (which, will also be referred to as a “ticket”): (a) inside an email, (b) as an attachment to an email, (c) as a download from a web site, (d) as an SMS or MMS message to a mobile cellular/WiFi/VoIP phone, (e) via a kiosk and will call pickup, (f) by associating admission rights with a user credit card number, driver’s license, other machine readable media or other personal identifier, or (g) otherwise. The user can then, as appropriate, print the electronic ticket (including a user identifier), have the ticket displayed using the mobile for use at a venue, or the corresponding information can be wirelessly (e.g., using radio frequency or magnetic communication) transmitted to the venue’s ticketing apparatus so that an operator can receive the ticket information. The system can track when the ticket is sent, received or accepted and store such information in the system database. Optionally or in addition, the ticket can be mailed as a physical ticket via the postal service, courier service, or otherwise. If a buyer is purchasing from a previous

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PCT/US2007/086651 purchaser multiple tickets for an event for the buyer’s use and/or for others (e.g., as a gift, or purchasing on their behalf), then, optionally, all the purchased tickets are electronically or physically provided to the buyer with the number of admissions provided thereon.

[0063] Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of example hardware components and software components that can be invoked during the processes described herein. An example ticketing system operated by a ticket processing service or other entity can include ticketing servers 102B, ticket exchange servers 108B, a credit card authorization system 106B, a network, 104B, and a router 116B. As depicted, in this embodiment the ticket exchange servers are connected directly to the ticketing servers 102B and the credit card authorization servers 106B. The illustrated example system otherwise operates as similarly described above with respect to Figure 1 A.

[0064] A legal engine optionally resides on one or more of the foregoing systems to ensure that ticket postings and sales comply with applicable governmental or other regulations. As similarly discussed above with respect to Figure 1, the ticketing system illustrated in Figure 2 can host a Web site accessible by users for purchasing, selling, and transferring tickets. The Web site may optionally include content that spans multiple Internet domains, and/or may be implemented using physical servers that are geographically remote from one another.

[0065] As depicted, users access the ticket processor ticketing system over the Internet 110B (or other network) using respective user terminals 112B, 114B (e.g., networked personal computers, personal digital assistants, phones, interactive televisions, or other user terminal types). The user terminals 112B, 114B may run commerciallyavailable Web browser applications, such as those which implement the basic World Wide Web standards such as HTTP and HTMF, or other types of applications that access data from networked sites.

[0066] The user terminals 112B, 114B may also run an email client (e.g., a commercially available e-mail application, such as Microsoft Outlook®), which may be used to receive communications from the ticketing system. The e-mail application and the browser may be integrated with one another, and/or may be integrated with other application programs or the operating system. The user terminals 112B, 114B can also be configured to receive SMS/MMS and/or instant messaging communications. The terminals 112B, 114B can include displays, keyboards, memory storage devices, printers, and the like.

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PCT/US2007/086651 [0067] Similarly, one or more ticket databases accessible by the ticketing system can include ticket information records for tickets, including barcode information, event name, event date, seat identifier(s), ticket holder name(s) or other identifier of a current ticket holder or holders, names or other identifiers of past holders of the ticket, ticket purchaser name or other identifier of most recent ticket purchaser, names or other identifiers of past purchasers of the ticket, an indication as to how many admissions are associated with a given ticket, an indication as to whether a ticket has been divided out or combined (e.g., that the number of admissions associated with a ticket has been decreased or increased), an indication as to how many separate tickets for an event are associated with an identified user, a ticket valid/invalid indicator, and an indicator as to whether the ticket has been used.

[0068] As further depicted by Figure 2, a ticket issuer, which can be a venue operator, an artist, a promoter, a ticketing agency, a user reselling tickets, or the like, accesses the ticketing system via the router 116B.

[0069] The system 120B is connected to an intranet and/or the Internet 118B to thereby access the router 116B, access management system 122B, and to receive data from a reader 124B. The access management system 122B, an example of which is the server-based Access Manager™ system that is commercially available from Ticketmaster, is used to authenticate tickets proffered at an event venue, and optionally to determine how many admissions the ticket entitles a user to. If a ticket fails to authenticate, optionally a notification or alert to that effect is provided to a gate keeper and transmitted to one or more security terminals 128B. The reader 124B optionally includes a barcode scanner, a character reader, a magnetic card reader, and/or a camera, which reads/scans tickets for ticket codes, ticket holder codes, and/or ticket purchaser codes. As similarly discussed above with respect to Figure 1, the reader 124B optionally is configured to read one or more types of identification devices (e.g., a barcode scanner, a character reader, a smart card reader, an RFID reader, etc.) and to optionally read tickets (which can be a physical ticket or an electronic ticket, such as one stored in a mobile phone and displayed by a mobile phone display) or otherwise receives ticket information from a user ticketbearing device for ticket codes, ticket holder codes, and/or ticket purchaser codes. The reader 124B optionally includes a biometric scanner configured to read one or more physical attributes of a ticket holder (e.g., fingerprint, palm, veins, retina, voice, face, body, etc.).

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PCT/US2007/086651 [0070] The access management system 122B enables a user (e.g., a ticket purchaser and/or a system operator) to 'de-authorize' or modify the number of entries for a specific indicia. For example, if a ticket purchaser has “attached” her tickets to an RFID card and subsequently lost the card, the number encoded in the card could be 'deauthorized' and the ticket re-issued to another indicia.

[0071] The access management system 122B can optionally generate reports tracking attendance, entry traffic by time, intervals, rejected admission attempts, and admissions by entry point, ticket type and/or price code when applicable.

[0072] As similarly discussed above with respect to Figure 1, the access management system 122B utilizes the barcode information scanned from a ticket using the reader 124B to perform the authentication and to determine how many people are entitled to admission with respect to a given ticket. The access management system servers can optionally use a database and/or an encryption/decryption algorithm for ticket identification lookup. The system optionally enables a ticket purchaser to resell a ticket to another user, as similarly discussed above, with the original ticket being invalidated.

[0073] Optionally, two or more of the ticketing servers 102B, ticket exchange servers 108B, credit card authorization system 106B, ticketing system 120B, and access management system 122B can be co-located and/or hosted by the same computer system.

[0074] Figure 3 illustrates an example process for processing a ticket purchase request and issuing tickets. At state 302, a ticket request for an event (or for multiple events, such as for a sports season) is received from a user (e.g., from a user terminal, phone, or ticket kiosk) over a network (e.g., the Internet) at a ticketing system. The ticket request can be for one or more seats at a selected price level, a selected seating area, or for the best available seats (optionally, if tickets are being ordered for multiple events, the user interface can enable the user to specify different seat requests for different events). In this example, the request is for five tickets. At state 304, the ticketing system locates five available seats meeting the user’s request and transmits information regarding the seats (e.g., the price, section, row, and seat) for display to the user (e.g., to the user’s terminal or a ticket kiosk being used by the user). The user can elect to proceed with the purchase of the offered seats, abandon the ticket request, or request a new selection of seats.

[0075] In this example, at state 306, the user accepts the offered seats, and proceeds with the order. The ticketing system receives the order over the network and

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PCT/US2007/086651 requests that the user provide payment information (e.g., a credit card number), or payment information is accessed from the user’s account information. At state 308, if the user has not already done so, the user may be asked to log-in (e.g., by providing a password and/or user ED) or establish an account (e.g., provide name and contact information, select a user ID and/or password).

[0076] At state 310, the user can specify, via a form, how many separate tickets are to be issued, which seats are to be associated with a given ticket, and to whom the tickets are to be delivered to (optionally, if tickets are being ordered for multiple events, the user interface can enable the user to specify different ticket issuance instructions for different events). For example, if a user is purchasing tickets for 5 seats (Q13, Q14, Q15, Q16, Q17), the user can specify that 3 seats (Q13, Q14, Q15) are to be associated with a first ticket issued to the user, and that 2 seats (Q16, Q17) are to be associated with a second ticket issued to the user’s friend, Jane Doe. Optionally, as a default, separate tickets are issued to the user for each purchased admission. Optionally instead, as a default, a single ticket is issued to the user for all purchased admissions. The default can be set by a system operator and/or the user via an account management user interface.

[0077] At state 312, the system receives over the network the user’s issuance instructions (e.g., how many tickets are to be issued and to whom). The system optionally asks the user to provide identification information, such as a name and/or other identification information, for the intended user/recipient of each purchased admission. For example, if supplementary identification information is desired (e.g., information beyond the recipient name), the ticketing system optionally transmits a form including list of one or more acceptable forms of supplementary identification (e.g., a driver license, an account identifier, a credit card number, etc.) to the user (e.g., to the user’s terminal or a ticket kiosk). The form can include fields to receive the identification information. The system optionally requests contact information (e.g., an email address, SMS address, instant messaging address, physical mailing address, etc.) for recipients that are to receive tickets. As discussed above, optionally the foregoing instructions can be provided at a later time, such as at the event venue as the user is being admitted to the event (or just before or after).

[0078] At state 314, the system receives the ticket issuance and address information. At state 316, tickets are issued in accordance with the user’s instructions

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PCT/US2007/086651 and/or system defaults/rules. For example, as similarly described above, the tickets can be emailed to a terminal, downloaded from a Web site to a terminal, transmitted to a wireless cell phone, mailed to the designated recipients (e.g., the purchaser and recipients designated by the purchaser). If the ticket is electronically transmitted, the recipients can optionally print out the tickets. The appropriate admission information (e.g., how many admissions the ticket holder is entitled to) is optionally encoded/stored on the delivered/printed ticket (e.g., encoded in a bar code, other computer readable indicia, and/or in human readable indicia).

[0079] If there are future notifications regarding the event (e.g., an event cancellation, a ticket cancellation, a change of date, a change of venue, etc.) the notifications can be provided (e.g., via email, an SMS/MMS message, an instant message, regular mail, etc.) to the ticket purchaser and/or the ticket recipients.

[0080] At state 318, the ticket purchaser accesses a user interface (e.g., a Web page, interactive voice response system, or other interface) and instructs the system to issue an additional, separate ticket for one of the previously purchased seat. For example, with reference to the example described above, the user can specify that seat Q15 is to be issued to John Smith. The first ticket will now only be good for two admissions. At state 320, a third ticket for the event will be issued to John Smith for seat Q15. Optionally, the first ticket is reissued to the ticket purchaser (e.g., as a fourth ticket) with indicia indicating that it is good for two admissions, and the system stores an indication in computer readable indicating that the originally issued first ticket is no longer valid.

[0081] Figure 4 illustrates an example process executed upon presentation of an event ticket at the event venue. At state 402, a ticket holder presents a ticket to a gate keeper (e.g., a human ticket taker, an electronic turnstile, etc.). At state 404, data stored/printed on the ticket is read/scanned by an electronic reader and/or read by a gatekeeper. For example, the ticket can have the number of admissions the ticket is authorized for printed in human and/or computer readable indicia. By way of further example, the ticket can have a ticket identifier and the names of other identifiers of those who are to be admitted using the ticket printed thereon in human readable and/or machine readable format, in encrypted or in unencrypted form. The number of admissions associated with the ticket is optionally displayed on a display coupled to a ticket scanner. The human ticket taker may enter the number of users actually entering with the given

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PCT/US2007/086651 ticket, and if the number entering is less than the total assigned to the ticket then the remaining entries will be available for a subsequent scan of the ticket.

[0082] At state 406, the appropriate number of users is admitted. Optionally, a ticket printer located at the gate keeper location prints a separate ticket or otherwise provides an access device for each guest being admitted. The printed tickets can be used to access the guest’s seat or other event area and/or to gain re-admittance to the event in case the guest left the event (e.g., to go to the guest’s car of for other reason). At state 408, a ticket database record is updated to indicate that the ticket has been used and how many people were admitted in association with the ticket.

[0083] Figure 4B illustrates another example process executed upon presentation of an admission device at the event venue. While the following example assumes that the event is a reserved seat event, optionally the event can be a general admission event wherein a user is not provided with a specified seat.

[0084] As similarly discussed above, the admission device can be in the form of a hardcopy ticket (e.g., including an identification barcode), a preexisting personal identification device (e.g., a driver’s license, a credit card, a loyalty/membership card associated with a specified number of event admissions), a code stored in a smart card, a code stored in a phone (e.g., a barcode or a code intended to be transmitted to a receiving device using radio frequency communication), a code stored in an RFID device, etc. Optionally, rather than, or in addition to using an admission device, a human readable code (e.g., an alphanumeric code) originally issued by the ticketing system to the user and manually entered via a keyboard or spoken by the user can be utilized.

[0085] At state 402B, the user presents/provides the admission device at the event venue to a gate keeper (e.g., a human ticket taker, an electronic turnstile, etc.). By way of example, the user may be the original ticket purchaser or a person that the original ticket purchaser designated as a recipient. The admission device and/or the user can be associated with multiple event seats and/or multiple events. At state 404B, one or more codes and/or other data printed/stored on the admission device are read (e.g., via a barcode reader, a magnetic stripe reader, an RFID reader, or other reader appropriate to access the code from the admission device).

[0086] At state 406B, the system utilizes the code/information accessed from the admission device to determine whether the bearer is authorized to assign seat allocations for seats associated with the admission device, how many seats for the event

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PCT/US2007/086651 and/or how many events are associated with the admissions device (and/or the user). For example, the admission device can store the seat identifications and event identifications and/or the admission device can store a code that can be utilized to locate the seat identifications and event identifications stored in a system database.

[0087] At state 408B, if the user is authorized to assign seat allocations, the system outputs the seat identifications (optionally, just those seats for the event taking place at the venue on the day the user presents the admission device) and/or event identifications for display to the user via a terminal (e.g., a terminal with a touch screen and/or a keyboard) or to a human operator interacting with the user.

[0088] If the user is not authorized to assign seat allocations (e.g., where the user is not the ticket purchaser, and the ticket purchaser did not authorize the user to make seat allocations), optionally the user will only be issued a seating ticket for a seat allocated to the user by the original ticket purchaser (or other person so authorized). If no seat has been allocated to the user, optionally the system will randomly assign one of the seats purchased by the original purchaser and associated with the ticket, or automatically assign a seat based on an order specified by the purchaser or a system operator (e.g., assign seat furthest from the aisle first, then the adjoining seat, and so on (e.g., to make it easier for later arrivals to get to their seat without having to step over or around earlier arrivals); or assign center seat in the associated seats first, then seats to one side of the center seat, and then seats to the other side of the center; or assign highest ranked/quality seat first (e.g., seat closes to center stage), then next highest ranked seat, and so on (so that earlier arrivals are awarded with better seats), or otherwise.

[0089] Optionally instead, if no seat has been specifically allocated by the original purchaser (or other authorized person) to the user, the user is asked to wait until the original purchaser (or other authorized person) makes the allocation (even though an admission has been allocated to the user).

[0090] At state 410B, the user selects which seats and/or event admissions the user wants to utilize. For example, the admission device/user may be associated with 6 admissions/seats for an event. The user may be physically accompanied by two other people. The user thus may elect to use three of the event admissions at this time, and leave three remaining admissions/seats for other people designated by the user (e.g., via the terminal or by sending the other people electronic tickets).

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PCT/US2007/086651 [0091] At state 412B, the system optionally prints out hardcopy tickets (e.g., on paper, cardboard, cloth, or plastic stock) for each person being admitted using the admissions associated with the admission device. For example, the hardcopy ticket can indicate which seat and/or section the bearer is entitled to utilize for the event and optionally can enable the bearer to leave and then reenter the venue during the event. Optionally, the hardcopy ticket can also enable the bearer to gain access to certain restricted areas aside from a reserved seat. For example, the hardcopy ticket can be used to gain access to a VIP room, as a backstage pass, etc. Optionally, in addition to or instead of the hardcopy ticket, an electronic ticket can be distributed to one or more of the people being admitted.

[0092] The system updates its database and/or information stored on the admission device to reflect the utilization of the event seat tickets to thereby ensure that tickets for the same event seats are not issued to another person, and to indicate that the 3 admissions have been “used up” so that the user and her guests will not receive more admissions than paid for.

[0093] At state 414B, the appropriate numbers of people are admitted to the event venue, optionally through a networked tumstile/gate enabled to admit the appropriate number of people.

[0094] Figure 5 illustrates an example user interface configured to receive from a ticket purchaser allocations of admission to tickets, and contact information and/or identification information as to whom the tickets are to be sent to. The received information can be stored in a ticket system database. The user interface optionally is accessed by a user terminal via a Web site hosted by a ticketing system, such as that described above.

[0095] The form lists the number of admissions, and for a reserved seat event, seat information (e.g., row, seat number, section, etc.) corresponding to the purchased admissions. A ticket allocation field is provided via which the user can assign an admission/grant of a seat to a ticket. For example, a drop down menu is optionally provided from which the user can select a ticket with which an admission is to be associated (e.g., Ticket 1, Ticket 2, Ticket 3, etc.).

[0096] A “deliver ticket to” area of the user interface enables to the user to specify to whom tickets are to be delivered. A field is optionally provided via which the ticket purchaser can manually enter the name of the intended recipient of an

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PCT/US2007/086651 admission/ticket. An address book field is optionally provided with a drop down menu that, when activated, causes names in an address book associated with the purchaser to be presented. In this example, the user can optionally select a ticket recipient from the presented names. A field is optionally provided via which the ticket purchaser can manually enter the name of the intended recipient of an admission. An email field and an SMS field are provided via which the purchaser can enter corresponding email and SMS addresses for the recipient. Optionally, additional or different contact fields can be provided (e.g., an instant messaging address, a physical address, a phone number, etc.).

[0097] An “authorize recipient to reassign/split ticket” checkbox field is optionally provided. If the checkbox is checked, the right to further split the ticket (e.g., have a separate ticket for an admission issued to a designated recipient) and/or to transfer the ticket and associated admission right, will be provided to the initial ticket recipient. If the checkbox is not checked, then the recipient will not be entitled to further split/transfer the ticket.

[0098] Optionally, one or more rules may be stored in the system that prevents or prohibits ticket recipients from splitting the ticket. The rules may be specified by the system operator, the venue operator, a performer, a government entity, and/or other entity. For example, a rule may be a system-wide rule that specifies that a ticket split cannot be performed within a designated period of the ticketed event (e.g., which 24 hours, within 12 hours, within 6 hours, or other specified period). If a rule prevents such a split, optionally the split allowed checkbox is not presented or is disabled (e.g., grayed out).

[0099] Figure 6 illustrates an example ticket. The event name, venue name, and event date and time are provided on the ticket. In addition, the number of admissions (e.g., 3) the ticket is good for is provided thereon. The ticket further includes seat identifiers corresponding to the ticket.

[0100] Thus, certain example embodiments enable a user and/or system operator to flexibly assign admissions to a ticket, split admissions into multiple tickets, combine admissions into a single ticket, and/or to forward tickets.

[0101] While certain of the above example embodiments describe purchasing tickets at a set price, the processes and apparatus described above can be used with respect to auctioned tickets or tickets given away for free. Further, certain process and apparatus described above can be used with respect to other rights, other than event admissions.

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PCT/US2007/086651 [0102] It should be understood that certain variations and modifications of this invention would suggest themselves to one of ordinary skill in the art. The scope of the present invention is not to be limited by the illustrations or the foregoing descriptions thereof.