Systems and methods for validating an order purchased with an unspecified term

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for validating an order purchased with an unspecified term. The order may comprise an order for an access ticket or admission ticket or access token, an order for goods or services, or any combination of access, goods, and services. Validation may comprise determining the ticket or token is valid and/or allowing access based on a determined data value for an access term unspecified at the time of purchase; or determining that the order is valid and fulfilling the order based on an identified data value for a term unspecified at the time of purchase. A data value may be set for the unspecified term and a hierarchical tree searched for a leaf corresponding to the set value for the unspecified term and one or more terms specified at time of purchase, the existence of the leaf indicating the order is valid.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of validating an access ticket to an attraction, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a first device, a request to validate an access ticket to an attraction, the request including a ticket identification and an attraction identification, the access ticket having been purchased with at least one unspecified access term from a group consisting of a destination name, event name, venue name, and attraction name;   setting, by a validation engine executed by the first device, responsive to receiving the request, a data value for the at least one unspecified access term, the data value selected by the validation engine from a plurality of predetermined data values according to the received attraction identification;   determining, by the validation engine and based on the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term, that access is permitted to the attraction identified by the attraction identification;   transmitting, by the first device and responsive to the determination, a validation response to validate the access ticket to the attraction; and   determining to pay a predetermined net price to an operator of the attraction, the predetermined net price based on the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the validation engine, a purchase record associated with the ticket identification; and   identifying, by the validation engine, from the purchase record, that the ticket was purchased without specifying a data value for the at least one unspecified access term.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a specified data value for the at least one unspecified access term is required for validation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one unspecified access term further comprises an undefined entry time, an undefined entry day of the week, or an undefined entry date. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing, in a purchase record associated with the ticket identification, an indicator that the access ticket has been used to access the attraction. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein determining that access is permitted to the attraction comprises determining that an access contract including the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term exists for the attraction identified by the attraction identifier.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein determining that access is permitted to the attraction comprises determining that an access contract including the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term exists for the attraction identified by the attraction identifier; and   wherein determining that an access contract including the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term exists comprises searching a hierarchical tree for a leaf node corresponding to the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one unspecified access term further comprises an entry time and the set data value for the entry time is the current time, and wherein the leaf node of the hierarchical tree includes a start time and an end time defining a time range including the current time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the hierarchical tree is based on one or more access terms defining nodes, the access terms including a time range of the contract, a day of the week of the contract, and a date range of the contract. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request is transmitted by a second device, and wherein the attraction identification of the request includes the data value for the unspecified access term. 
     
     
         11 . A system for validating an access ticket to an attraction, the system comprising:
 a first device executing a validation engine, the first device configured to: (i) receive a request to validate an access ticket to an attraction, the request including a ticket identification and an attraction identification, the access ticket having been purchased with at least one unspecified access term from a group consisting of a destination name, event name, venue name, and attraction name; and (ii) transmit a validation response to validate the access ticket to the attraction; and   the validation engine configured to:   select a data value from a plurality of predetermined data values according to the received attraction identification,   set the selected data value as the data value for the at least one unspecified access term, and   determine, based on the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term, that access is permitted to the attraction identified by the attraction identification; and   wherein the first device is further configured to initiate payment of a predetermined net price to an operator of the attraction, the predetermined net price based on the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the validation engine is further configured to:
 retrieve a purchase record associated with the ticket identification; and   identify, from the purchase record, that the ticket was purchased without specifying a data value for the at least one unspecified access term.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a specified data value for the at least one unspecified access term is required for validation. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one unspecified access term further comprises an undefined entry time, an undefined entry day of the week, or an undefined entry date. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the validation engine is further configured to store, in a purchase record associated with the ticket identification, an indicator that the access ticket has been used to access the attraction. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the validation engine is further configured to:
 determine that an access contract including the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term exists for the attraction identified by the attraction identifier.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the validation engine is further configured to:
 determine that an access contract including the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term exists for the attraction identified by the attraction identifier, and   search a hierarchical tree for a leaf node corresponding to the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one unspecified access term further comprises an entry time and the set data value for the entry time is the current time, and wherein the leaf node of the hierarchical tree includes a start time and an end time defining a time range including the current time. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the hierarchical tree is based on one or more access terms defining nodes, the access terms including a time range of the contract, a day of the week of the contract, and a date range of the contract. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereupon that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a request to validate an access ticket to an attraction, the request including a ticket identification and an attraction identification, the access ticket having been purchased with at least one unspecified access term from a group consisting of a destination name, event name, venue name, and attraction name;   setting, responsive to receiving the request, a data value for the at least one unspecified access term, the data value selected from a plurality of data values according to the received attraction identification;   determining, based on the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term, that access is permitted to the attraction identified by the attraction identification;   transmitting, responsive to the determination, a validation response to validate the access ticket to the attraction; and   determining to pay a predetermined net price to an operator of the attraction, the predetermined net price based on the set data value for the at least one unspecified access term.