Method and system for distributing electronic tickets with visual display

Abstract

This invention discloses a novel system and method for distributing electronic ticketing such that the ticket is verified at the entrance to venues by means of an animation or other human perceptible verifying visual object that is selected by the venue for the specific event. This removes the need to use a barcode scanner on an LCD display of a cell phone or other device and speeds up the rate at which human ticket takers can verify ticket holders.

1 . A method for distributing electronic tickets comprising:
 Receiving a request to display a validating visual object;   Receiving a ticket token associated with the received request;   Generating a ticket payload;   Transmitting a ticket payload embodying a validating visual object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 Selecting a validating visual object; 
 Associating the selected validating visual object with an event; 
 Verifying that the received request is for the associated event; 
 Using the selected validating visual object to generate the ticket payload. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 Transmitting the validating visual object to a remote device viewable by authorized persons that is distinct from the device from which the request was transmitted. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  or  claim 2  further comprising:
 Transmitting an authorization key to the device that transmitted the received request. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 After the Generating step, Encrypting the ticket payload using the authorization key. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 After the Generating step, Encrypting the ticket payload with a public key for which the transmitted authorization key is the associated private key. 
 
     
     
         7 . A method of displaying a validating visual object on a device comprising:
 Receiving a ticket payload embodying the validating visual object; and   Displaying the validating visual object.   
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 Causing the Displaying step in dependence on actuating the user interface such that release of the actuation further causes the validating visual object to be deleted or destroyed from the device. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 Receiving a dynamic scrypt; and 
 Altering the run-time code using the received scrypt. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 Receiving as input into the device through a user interface a key that permits the application running the method to operate. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 Destroying the validating visual object after a pre-determined period of time has expired since the object was displayed the first time on the device. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 Extracting additional information embedded in the validating visual object and displaying that information on the device screen. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising: determining that the application running the method has not been tampered with. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising: determining that the ticket payload has not been tampered with. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprised of a website adapted to perform any of the methods of  claims 1 - 14 . 
     
     
         16 . A computer readable medium containing computer program code that when run causes the performance of any of the methods of  claim 1 - 14 .