Methods and systems for computer aided event and venue setup and modeling and interactive maps

Abstract

Described are systems and methods for designing certain aspects of an event venue and for communicating information regarding the event and the event venue to others. Certain embodiments provide a dynamic seat map via which an operator can assign certain characteristics to specific seats and/or seating sections. Certain embodiments generate interactive maps for users, via which information from a plurality of sources may be integrated and visually displayed. The user may specify certain criteria, and the interactive map may identify to the user seats and/or sections that match such criteria. Certain embodiments provide an interactive seat map via which users can select seats and share information.

1 . A system for providing an interactive seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of sections and seats within the plurality of sections; 
 accessing pricing information associated with the plurality of venue sections and/or venue seats for a first event; 
 providing the map to a user terminal for display as an interactive seat map including sections and/or individual seats in association with:
 an interface via which the user can specify a price range with respect to seat tickets; 
 an interface via which the user can specify at least a first offer, wherein the first offer provides at least one of the following:
 a reduced price relative to a listed price with respect to at least one seat ticket; 
 a reduced price relative to a listed price with respect to an ancillary product or service in association with at least one ticket purchase; 
 an entitlement to purchase seat tickets for a certain category of seats if a corresponding offer code is supplied; 
 
 
 receiving, via a data interface, relationship information with respect to the user, wherein the relationship information includes identifications of one or more friends of the user; 
 wherein, in at least partly in response to a user specified price range and/or a user specified offer, the interactive seat map emphasizes sections and/or seats corresponding to the user specified price range and/or the user specified offer; 
 accessing seat information with respect to one or more friends of the user; 
 causing, at least in part, the interactive seat map to indicate sections and/or seats where at least a portion of the user's friends have tickets for; and 
 receiving and processing a ticket purchase request for at least one seat selected by the user via the interactive seat map. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to:
 display a first map including substantially all event venue seating sections in a first portion of the interactive seat map, and   display and a second map, including an expanded view of at least one user selected seating area, in a second portion of the interactive seat map,   wherein the user can select a seating area in the first map to be displayed in the expanded view of the second map.   
     
     
         3 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access the relationship information from a social network system. 
     
     
         4 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface via which the user can tag at least one user into a venue seat for the event. 
     
     
         5 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface providing the user an option to have an indication that the user will be attending the event posted to a social network site. 
     
     
         6 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to display information regarding seat availability in a first section in response to the user selecting a representation of the first section, wherein the representation of the first section does not include a representation of individual seats. 
     
     
         7 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive seat map is visually coded to indicate which seat are available, which seats are unavailable and which seats the user has purchased tickets for. 
     
     
         8 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive seat map is visually coded to indicate which seat are available, which seats are unavailable and for which seats a current ticket holder for those seats has indicated a willingness to resell their seat tickets. 
     
     
         9 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the interactive seat map, wherein color coding is not used to emphasize sections and/or seats corresponding to the user specified price range. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of sections and seats within the plurality of sections;   accessing pricing information associated with the plurality of venue sections and/or venue seats for a first event;   providing the map to a user terminal for display as an interactive seat map including sections and/or individual seats in association with:
 an interface via which a user can specify a price range with respect to seat tickets; 
 an interface via which the user can specify at least a first offer, wherein the first offer provides at least one of the following:
 a reduced price relative to a listed price with respect to at least one seat ticket; 
 a reduced price relative to a listed price with respect to an ancillary product or service in association with at least one ticket purchase; 
 an entitlement to purchase seat tickets for a certain category of seats if a corresponding offer code is supplied; 
 
   receiving, via a data interface, relationship information with respect to the user, wherein the relationship information includes identifications of one or more friends of the user;   wherein, in at least partly in response to a user specified price range and/or a user specified offer, the interactive seat map emphasizes sections and/or seats corresponding to the user specified price range and/or the user specified offer;   accessing seat information with respect to one or more friends of the user;   causing, at least in part, the interactive seat map to indicate sections and/or seats where at least a portion of the user's friends have tickets for; and   receiving and processing a ticket purchase request for at least one seat selected by the user via the interactive seat map.   
     
     
         11 . A system for providing an interactive seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:   accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of sections and seats within the plurality of sections;   accessing pricing information associated with the plurality of venue sections and/or venue seats for a first event;   transmitting the map for display as an interactive seat map on a user terminal in association with:
 an interface via which a user can specify a price range with respect to seat tickets; 
   receiving, via a data interface, relationship information with respect to the user, wherein the relationship information includes identifications of one or more friends of the user;   accessing seat information with respect to one or more friends of the user; and   wherein, in response to a user-specified price range, the interactive seat map emphasizes sections and/or seats corresponding to the user specified price range, and   wherein the interactive map indicates where the one or more of the user's friends are sitting;   receiving and processing a ticket purchase request for at least one seat selected by the user via the interactive seat map.   
     
     
         12 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to display substantially all ticketed individual seats at the same time, wherein each of the ticketed individual seats is separately represented by a corresponding representation. 
     
     
         13 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to:
 display a first map including substantially all event venue seating sections in a first portion of the interactive seat map, and   display and a second map, including an expanded view of at least one user selected seating area, in a second portion of the interactive seat map,   wherein the user can select a seating area in the first map to be displayed in the expanded view of the second map.   
     
     
         14 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access the relationship information from a social network system. 
     
     
         15 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface via which the user can tag at least one user into a venue seat for the event. 
     
     
         16 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface providing the user an option to have an indication that the user will be attending the event posted to a social network site. 
     
     
         17 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to display information regarding seat availability in a first section in response to the user selecting a representation of the first section, wherein the representation of the first section does not include a representation of individual seats. 
     
     
         18 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map is visually coded to indicate which seat are available, which seats are unavailable and which seats the user has purchased tickets for. 
     
     
         19 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map is visually coded to indicate which seat are available, which seats are unavailable and for which seats a current ticket holder for those seats has indicated a willingness to resell their seat tickets. 
     
     
         20 . The system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the interactive seat map, wherein color coding is not used to emphasize sections and/or seats corresponding to the user specified price range. 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of sections and seats within the plurality of sections;   accessing pricing information associated with the plurality of venue sections and/or venue seats for a first event;   transmitting the map for display as an interactive seat map on a user terminal in association with:
 an interface via which the user can specify a price range with respect to seat tickets; 
   receiving, via a data interface, relationship information with respect to the user, wherein the relationship information includes identifications of one or more friends of the user;   accessing seat information with respect to one or more friends of the user; and   wherein, in response to a user specified price range, the interactive seat map emphasizes sections and/or seats corresponding to the user specified price range, and   wherein the interactive map indicates where the one or more of the user's friends are sitting;   receiving and processing a ticket purchase request for at least one seat selected by the user via the interactive seat map.   
     
     
         22 . A system for providing a venue seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of seats; 
 receiving, via a data interface, relationship information with respect to a user, wherein the relationship information includes identifications of one or more friends of the user; 
 accessing seat information with respect to one or more friends of the user; and 
 causing the seat map to indicate where the one or more of the user's friends are sitting. 
   
     
     
         23 . The system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to:
 display a first map including substantially all event venue seating sections in a first portion of the interactive seat map, and   display and a second map, including an expanded view of at least one user selected seating area, in a second portion of the interactive seat map,   wherein the user can select a seating area in the first map to be displayed in the expanded view of the second map.   
     
     
         24 . The system as defined in  claim 22 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access the relationship information from a social network system. 
     
     
         25 . The system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface via which the user can tag at least one user into a venue seat for the event. 
     
     
         26 . The system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface providing the user an option to have an indication that the user will be attending the event posted to a social network site. 
     
     
         27 . The system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to display information regarding seat availability in a first section in response to the user selecting a representation of the first section, wherein the representation of the first section does not include a representation of individual seats. 
     
     
         28 . The system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the interactive seat map is visually coded to indicate which seat are available, which seats are unavailable and which seats the user has purchased tickets for. 
     
     
         29 . The system as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the interactive seat map is visually coded to indicate which seat are available, which seats are unavailable and for which seats a current ticket holder for those seats has indicated a willingness to resell their seat tickets. 
     
     
         30 . A method comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of seats;   receiving, via a data interface, relationship information with respect to a user, wherein the relationship information includes identifications of one or more friends of the user;   accessing seat information with respect to one or more friends of the user; and   causing the seat map to indicate where the one or more of the user's friends are sitting.   
     
     
         31 . A system for providing an interactive seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of sections and seats within the plurality of sections; 
 accessing pricing information associated with the plurality of venue sections and/or venue seats for a first event; 
 accessing status information regarding a plurality of venue seats, the status information indicating seat availability; 
 transmitting the map for display as an interactive seat map on a user terminal, 
 wherein the interactive map indicates seat availability; 
 providing a user interface via which:
 a user may select a seat for which a ticket is already held by a ticket holder that had previously acquired the ticket, and 
 submit an offer, including a user specified price, to purchase the ticket for the selected seat from the ticket holder; 
 
 if the user submits an offer to the ticket holder, transmitting the offer to the ticket holder, and processing an acceptance or refusal of the offer from the ticket holder. 
   
     
     
         32 . The system as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the interactive seat map is configured to:
 display a first map including substantially all event venue seating sections in a first portion of the interactive seat map, and   display and a second map, including an expanded view of at least one user selected seating area, in a second portion of the interactive seat map,   wherein the user can select a seating area in the first map to be displayed in the expanded view of the second map.   
     
     
         33 . The system as defined in  claim 31 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access relationship information of the user from a social network system, wherein the interactive seat map is configured to display an indication as where at least one person, with whom the user has a relationship as determined via the relationship information, will be sitting at the event venue. 
     
     
         34 . The system as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface via which the user can tag at least one user into a venue seat for the event. 
     
     
         35 . The system as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the interactive seat map provides an interface providing the user an option to have an indication that the user will be attending the event posted to a social network site. 
     
     
         36 . The system as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the interactive seat map is visually coded to indicate which seat are available, which seats are unavailable and which seats the user has purchased tickets for. 
     
     
         37 . A method, comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of sections and seats within the plurality of sections;   accessing status information regarding a plurality of venue seats, the status information indicating seat availability;   transmitting the map for display as an interactive seat map on a user terminal wherein the interactive map indicates seat availability;   providing a user interface via which:
 a user may select a seat for which a ticket is already held by a ticket holder that had previously acquired the ticket, and 
 submit an offer, including a user specified price, to purchase the ticket for the selected seat from the ticket holder; 
   if the user submits an offer to the ticket holder, transmitting the offer to the ticket holder, and processing an acceptance or refusal of the offer from the ticket holder.   
     
     
         38 . A system for providing a seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of seats; 
 accessing purchase process information, wherein the purchase process information indicates:
 a first ticket for a first seat is to be offered for sale via a first purchase process type, and 
 a second ticket for a second seat is to be offered for sale via a second purchase process type different than the first purchase process type; 
 
 accessing status information regarding a plurality of venue seats, the status information indicating seat availability; 
 transmitting the seat map for display on a user terminal, 
 wherein the seat map indicates seat availability, and 
 where the seat map visually indicates that:
 the first ticket for the first seat is available for purchase via the first purchase process type, and 
 the second ticket for the second seat is available for purchase via the second purchase process type; 
 
 providing a user interface enabling a user:
 to select the first seat via the seat map and to initiate a purchase transaction for the first ticket using the first purchase process type, and/or 
 to elect the second seat via the seat map and to initiate a purchase transaction for the second ticket using the second purchase process type. 
 
   
     
     
         39 . The system as defined in  claim 38 , wherein the first purchase process type includes purchase of the first ticket at a preset price and the second purchase process type includes an auction for the second ticket. 
     
     
         40 . The system as defined in  claim 38 , wherein the first purchase process type includes purchase of the first ticket at a preset price and the second purchase process type includes the user specifying a price at which the user is offering to purchase the second ticket. 
     
     
         41 . The system as defined in  claim 38 , wherein the seat map indicates via a first color code and/or a first icon that the first ticket for the first seat is available for purchase via the first purchase process type, and
 wherein the seat map indicates via a second color code and/or a second icon that the second ticket for the second seat is available for purchase via the second purchase process type.   
     
     
         42 . The system as defined in  claim 38 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access relationship information of the user from a social network system, wherein the seat map is configured to display an indication as where at least one person, with whom the user has a relationship as determined via the relationship information, will be sitting at the event venue. 
     
     
         43 . The system as defined in  claim 38 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access relationship information of the user from a social network system, wherein the seat map is configured to display an indication as which seat at least one person, with whom the user has a relationship as determined via the relationship information, has made an offer to purchase a ticket for. 
     
     
         44 . A method, comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of seats;   accessing purchase process information, wherein the purchase process information indicates:
 a first ticket for a first seat is to be offered for sale via a first purchase process type, and 
 a second ticket for a second seat is to be offered for sale via a second purchase process type different than the first purchase process type; 
   accessing status information regarding a plurality of venue seats, the status information indicating seat availability;   transmitting the seat map for display on a user terminal,   wherein the seat map indicates seat availability, and   where the seat map visually indicates that:
 the first ticket for the first seat is available for purchase via the first purchase process type, and 
 the second ticket for the second seat is available for purchase via the second purchase process type; 
   providing a user interface enabling a user:
 to select the first seat via the seat map and to initiate a purchase transaction for the first ticket using the first purchase process type, and/or 
 to elect the second seat via the seat map and to initiate a purchase transaction for the second ticket using the second purchase process type. 
   
     
     
         45 . A system for providing a seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of seats; 
 transmitting the seat map for display on a terminal of a first user, 
 wherein the seat map indicates seat availability, and 
 providing a user interface enabling the first user:
 to select the first seat via the seat map and to submit a first offer to purchase a corresponding first ticket for the first seat; 
 identify a second user; 
 condition the offer to purchase the first ticket for the first seat on an acceptance of a second offer from the second user to purchase a second ticket for a second seat; 
 determining if the second offer to purchase the second ticket for the second seat is acceptable; 
 determining if the first offer to purchase the first ticket for the first seat is acceptable, 
 at least partly in response to determining that the first offer to purchase the first ticket for the first seat the second offer to purchase the second ticket for the second seat are acceptable, enabling the purchase of the first ticket to be completed. 
 
   
     
     
         46 . The system as defined in  claim 45 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access relationship information of the first user from a social network system, wherein the relationship information indicates that the first user and the second user have a relationship, and the seat map is configured to identify the second seat in association with an indication that the second user has made an offer to purchase the second ticket for the second seat. 
     
     
         47 . The system as defined in  claim 45 , further comprising an application programming interface configured to access relationship information of the user from a social network system, wherein the seat map is configured to display an indication as which seat at least one person, with whom the user has a relationship as determined via the relationship information, has made an offer to purchase a ticket for. 
     
     
         48 . The system as defined in  claim 45 , wherein behavior of the seat map is dynamically controlled at least in part by a scripting language passed by the system to the seat map. 
     
     
         49 . A method, comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of seats;   transmitting the seat map for display on a terminal of a first user,   wherein the seat map indicates seat availability, and   providing a user interface enabling the first user:
 to select the first seat via the seat map and to submit a first offer to purchase a corresponding first ticket for the first seat; 
 identify a second user; 
 condition the offer to purchase the first ticket for the first seat on an acceptance of a second offer by the second user to purchase a second ticket for a second seat; 
   determining if the second offer to purchase the second ticket for the second seat is acceptable;   determining if the first offer to purchase the first ticket for the first seat is acceptable,   at least partly in response to determining that the first offer to purchase the first ticket for the first seat the second offer to purchase the second ticket for the second seat are acceptable, enabling the purchase of the first ticket to be completed.   
     
     
         50 . A system for providing a seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 determining if user activity by a plurality of users is interfering with providing, to a plurality of user terminals, substantially real-time updates to an interactive seat map, wherein the interactive seat map enables a given user to select a specific seat via the interactive seat map and to purchase a seat ticket for the user selected seat; 
 at least partly in response to determining that user activity is interfering with providing, to the plurality of user terminals, substantially real-time updates to the interactive seat map:
 preventing at least a portion of the plurality of users from using the interactive seat map to purchase user selected seats; and 
 enabling one or more users to purchase seat tickets via a first user interface wherein the user cannot select specific seat to purchase tickets for. 
 
   
     
     
         51 . The system as defined in  claim 50 , wherein the first user interface enables the user to specify a seat price, and the system selects a seat corresponding to the user specified seat price, and enables the user to purchase a ticket for the system selected seat. 
     
     
         52 . The system as defined in  claim 50 , wherein determining if user activity is interfering with providing, to the plurality of user terminals, substantially real-time updates to the interactive seat map, further comprises determining if changes in seat status information, indicating whether a given seat is available or unavailable, cannot be reflected in the interactive seat map in substantially real time. 
     
     
         53 . A method, comprising:
 determining if user activity by a plurality of users is interfering with providing, to a plurality of user terminals, substantially real-time updates to an interactive seat map, wherein the interactive seat map enables a given user to select a specific seat via the interactive seat map and to purchase a seat ticket for the user selected seat;   at least partly in response to determining that user activity is interfering with providing, to the plurality of user terminals, substantially real-time updates to the interactive seat map:
 preventing at least a portion of the plurality of users from using the interactive seat map to purchase user selected seats; and 
 enabling one or more users to purchase seat tickets via a first user interface wherein the user cannot select specific seat to purchase tickets for. 
   
     
     
         54 - 118 . (canceled) 
     
     
         119 . The method as defined in  claim 53 , wherein the first user interface enables the user to specify a seat price, and the system selects a seat corresponding to the user specified seat price, and enables the user to purchase a ticket for the system selected seat. 
     
     
         120 . The method as defined in  claim 53 , wherein determining if user activity is interfering with providing, to the plurality of user terminals, substantially real-time updates to the interactive seat map, further comprises determining if changes in seat status information, indicating whether a given seat is available or unavailable, cannot be reflected in the interactive seat map in substantially real time. 
     
     
         121 . A system for providing an interactive seat map, comprising:
 computing hardware;   a non-transitory medium storing instructions that when executed by the computing hardware, cause the computing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 accessing a seat map for a venue, the seat map including a definition of a plurality of sections and seats within the plurality of sections; 
 accessing pricing information associated with the plurality of venue sections and/or venue seats for a first event; 
 accessing status information regarding a plurality of venue seats, the status information indicating seat availability; 
 transmitting the map for display as an interactive seat map on a user terminal, 
 wherein the interactive map indicates seat availability; 
 providing a user interface via which:
 a user may select a seat, and 
 submit an offer, including a user specified price, to purchase the ticket for the selected seat from the ticket holder; 
 
 if the user submits an offer to the ticket holder, transmitting the offer to the ticket holder, and processing an acceptance or refusal of the offer from the ticket holder.