Multi-venue ticketing using smart cards

Details Multi-venue ticketing using smart cards Multi-venue ticketing using smart cards

1998-06-29

2001-04-10

Barron, Jr., Gilberto (Department: 2767)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support

Multiple computer communication using cryptography

Particular communication authentication technique

C705S065000, C705S067000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06216227

ABSTRACT:

Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Java, and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Incorporated in the United States and other countries.
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to the field of electronic commerce. More particularly, a system and methods are provided for electronic ticketing.
The use of tickets for sporting venues, entertainment events, travel and the like is no longer strictly a mechanical function. Ticketing systems have evolved to make use of computer systems in various phases of the ticket generation, issuance and validation processes.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,477, issued to Berson, a customer submits information concerning a desired ticket (e.g., scheduling data pertaining to an airline flight). A data processing system sends ticketing information and encrypted validation data to a local printing system. The local system prints the ticket, which includes the validating information encoded in a two-dimensional barcode. The customer presents the ticket at flight time, where a validating system scans the barcode, transforms the data from physical form into digital form and validates it. If valid, the customer receives his boarding pass, luggage claim checks, etc.
Berson, however, still requires the issuance of a paper ticket. Paper tickets are, of course, subject to theft, mutilation, destruction, loss, etc. In addition, a ticket produced according to the Berson system is necessarily good for only onetime use. The ticket is physically collected at the time of the flight. Two additional disadvantages exist with this scheme. First, the use of two-dimensional barcodes requires printers capable of producing, and barcode scanners capable of reading, such barcodes. Depending upon the number of sites at which tickets are printed or accepted, this may involve significant cost. Second, the use of cryptographic means to secure the validation information requires a sophisticated key management scheme.
In a modification of the Berson system, large random numbers may be used in place of cryptographic security. A particular random number is chosen and printed as a one-dimensional barcode on a physical ticket. The use of large numbers significantly decreases the chance of a person correctly guessing the number assigned to a particular ticket for a discrete event (e.g., airplane flight, entertainment event). The random numbers are stored in a database accessible to sites at which the tickets are used. When the ticket is presented at a site, the number on the ticket is compared to the list of valid numbers stored in the database. This scheme still possesses the disadvantages inherent in paper tickets, such as destruction or mutilation and the limitation to a single use. In addition, without further protection, the database of random numbers provides a single point of vulnerability. A person with access to the database could conceivably generate large quantities of bogus tickets,
In addition to the above disadvantages, known ticketing systems provide admission to only a single event or a single site. Also, a paper ticket issued by a known system is not generally modifiable without physically replacing the issued ticket. In other words, a person who wishes to visit or enjoy multiple events or multiple venues must carry and present a different ticket for each event or venue. As he or she makes plans to visit even more events or venues, additional paper tickets must be purchased and carried, thus increasing the risk of loss.
SUMMARY
In one embodiment of the invention, a system and methods are provided for storing, on a single electronic device (e.g., smart card, hand-held computer), electronic tickets to events offered at multiple venues. In this embodiment, the electronic device receives and stores a venue module associated with each venue for which a ticket is purchased. The venue module enables the electronic device to store tickets for the associated venue, and includes a venue key for validating individual tickets. The electronic device also receives and stores a shared ticketing module containing instructions to be called by one or more venue modules. The shared ticketing module includes a “venue loader key” for validating installed venue modules.
After the electronic device is configured with the shared ticketing module and one or more venue modules, tickets for each installed venue module may be stored. In a present embodiment of the invention, the electronic device's user identifies parameters (e.g., event, date, time, seat) for a ticket and the corresponding electronic ticket is downloaded from a ticket loader, along with a ticket signature. The venue module for the corresponding venue module authenticates each stored ticket's signature using its venue key.
When a ticket is to be presented for admission to an event, in a present embodiment a validation device challenges the electronic device by issuing a challenge code. The venue module for the event's venue signs the code with its venue key and returns the signed code. After the signature is validated, the electronic device transmits the ticket for the event and the ticket is canceled.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5598477 (1997-01-01), Berson
patent: 5721781 (1998-02-01), Deo et al.
patent: 5754654 (1998-05-01), Hiroya et al.
patent: 6005942 (1999-12-01), Chan et al.
patent: 628928 A1 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 658862 A2 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 658862 A3 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 823694 A1 (1998-02-01), None
patent: 829828 A1 (1998-03-01), None
Rinaldo Di Giorgio, iButtons: The first ready-to-buy 2.0 Java Card API devices, Apr. 1998, 9 pages, Java World.
Wolfgang Rankl, et al., “Handbuch der Chipkarten,” (in German), 1995, pp. 64-65, 202-205. English translation also provided.

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