WO2000045348A1

WO2000045348A1 - Ticket selling method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2000045348A1
Application number: PCT/KR1999/000724
Authority: WO
Inventors: Doo-Soon Jang
Original assignee: Jang Doo Soon
Priority date: 1999-01-28
Filing date: 1999-12-01
Publication date: 2000-08-03
Also published as: KR100292837B1; AU1585400A; KR20000023866A

Abstract

A ticket selling apparatus and method capable of simplifying the performance of a ticket selling method by using a computer and a data communication network are provided. In the method, a purchaser computer (102) reads sales information of a ticket to be purchased through a data network (103) by a computer communication which is read to decide about a desired ticket. The purchaser computer pays money for the purchased ticket. An encoded bar code having relevant dealing information of the purchased ticket is transmitted to the purchaser computer in response to the payment of the money for the purchased ticket from the purchaser computer. A purchaser printer (106) prints a ticket having the encoded bar code transmitted to the seller computer (104) from the purchaser computer. A seller bar code reader (108) detects validity of the printed ticket. According to the method, sales for the appointed day of a ticket, advance sales, changes of a seat and a time, and a cancellation is simply performed through a communication. The purchaser can display an arrangement plan of seats, pictures of sales articles, a dealing place, an entrance area for attendance, a traffic guide, sales promotion advertisement of similar items with a computer graphic on a computer monitor.

Description

TICKET SELLING METHOD AND APPARATUS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to relates to a ticket selling method, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for selling tickets by using a computer and a data communication network

BACKGROUND ART

In a conventional ticket selling method, in order to purchase a ticket such as an entrance ticket, a train ticket, an airline ticket, a bus ticket, a merchandise coupon, and a member's ticket, a purchaser buys the ticket at a ticket store in cash. Otherwise, after the purchaser purchases the ticket in advance by using a telephone or a computer communication, the purchaser is identified at the ticket store through an advance sale number assigned and the ticket is issued. According to the conventional ticket selling method, requiring the purchaser to directly visit the ticket store and purchases the ticket is inconvenient. When there are many purchasers at the ticket store, the purchasers should stand in a queue and wait.

U.S. Patent No. 5 , 621 , 797 (issued to Sholom S. Rosen on April 15, 1997) discloses an electronic ticket presentation and transfer method.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention, for the purpose of solving the above mentioned problems, to provide a ticket selling method and apparatus capable of simplifying the performance of a ticket selling method by using a computer and a data commnunication network.

In order to attain the object, according to the present invention, there is provided a ticket selling method, said method comprising the steps of: reading sales information of a ticket to be purchased through a data network by a computer communication to decide about a desired ticket by means of a purchaser computer; paying a seller money for the purchased ticket by the purchaser computer; transmitting an encoded bar code having relevant dealing information of the purchased ticket to the purchaser computer in response to the payment of the money for the purchased ticket from the purchaser computer; printing a ticket having the encoded bar code transmitted to the seller computer from the purchaser computer by a purchaser printer; and detecting validity of the printed ticket by a seller bar code reader.

There is also provided a ticket selling apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a purchaser computer for reading sales information of a ticket to be purchased through a data network by means of a computer communication to decide about a desired ticket, and paying a seller money for the purchased ticket, by a ticket purchaser; a seller computer for transmitting an encoded bar code having relevant dealing information of the purchased ticket to the purchaser computer in response to the payment of the money for the purchased ticket from the purchaser computer; a printer for printing a ticket having the encoded bar code transmitted to the seller computer from the purchaser computer; and a bar code reader for detecting validity of the ticket printed by the printer. Other objects and further features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description when read in conjunction with the attached drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view for showing a configuration of a ticket selling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings .

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a ticket selling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ticket selling apparatus includes a purchaser computer 102, a seller computer 104, a printer 106, and a bar code reader 108.

The purchaser computer 102 reads sales information of a ticket to be purchased through a data network by means of a computer communication to decide about a desired ticket by a ticket purchaser. The purchaser computer 102 pays a seller the money for the purchased ticket by the ticket purchaser. The ticket purchaser may be a person such as a computer communication home banking subscriber, a phone banking subscriber, or a credit card subscriber which can electronically deal with a bank 110.

The seller computer 104 transmits an encoded bar code having relevant dealing information of the purchased ticket to the purchaser computer 102 in response to the payment of the money for the purchased ticket from the purchaser computer 102.

A ticket seller should have the seller computer 104 and a photo bar code reader 108. The seller computer 104 communicates with the bank 110 or a central control computer network which is connected to an on-line communication of the bank 110. The printer 106 prints a ticket 112 having the encoded bar code 114 transmitted to the seller computer 104 from the purchaser computer 102. Relevant dealing information such as an assigned date, a seat placement, a dealing place, an amount of money, and a selling article is included in the ticket 112 and is recorded in the bar code 114. Accordingly, the ticket 114 is printed by the printer 106 so that the purchaser can read the dealing information included in the ticket 112.

The bar code reader 108 is installed at an entrance area for attendance which is a dealing place of the seller, or an article store. The bar code reader 108 detects validity of the ticket 112 printed by the printer 106.

Hereinafter, an operation of the ticket selling apparatus and a ticket selling method will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

A ticket purchaser reads sales information of a ticket to be purchased through a data network by means of a computer communication to decide about a desired ticket by using the purchaser computer 102. The ticket purchaser pays a seller the money for the purchased ticket through home banking or a bank 110 by a credit card by using the purchaser computer 102.

The seller computer 104 transmits an encoded bar code having dealing information of the purchased ticket to the purchaser computer 102 in response to the payment of the money for the purchased ticket from the purchaser computer 102. At this time, the purchaser can display an arrangement plan of seats, pictures of selling articles, a dealing place, an entrance area for attendance, a traffic guide, sales promotion advertisement of similar items with a computer graphic on a computer monitor (not shown) .

The purchaser prints a ticket 112 having the encoded bar code 114 transmitted to the seller computer 104 from the purchaser computer 102 by means of the printer 106. As the bar coder reader 108 detects the ticket 112 of the ticket purchaser, the validity of the ticket 112 is determined. Thus entrance of the ticket purchaser is controlled according to the validity of the ticket 112 or the assigned article is guided or not so that a transation is performed.

In such a banking transaction through a communication, since cash is paid, a reliable safety system is needed. The ticket purchaser prints the ticket 112 by means of the printer 106 in person so that the ticket 112 is protected from reprinting or counterfeiting. When a purchaser maliciously intends to copy and use many tickets, only one ticket which is initially read is validly transacted whereas invalid copies are rejected by a predetermined program. The reason is that the bar code 114 printed on the ticket 112 has different codes according to each purchaser and there are no tickets having an identical code. A suitable safety code which is included in the bar code 114 is used according to dealing contents such as a usable date, a time, an assigned place, and an assigned bar code reader to detect a wrong ticket. Therefore a system more reliable than any other electronically commercial transaction is established. Since the ticket 112 is limited to an added value, the probability for motivating hacking or counterfeiting is rare.

In an electronically commercial transaction through a communication, an emergent contact channel should be present in any case. Since a computer processes all situations, all technical errors can not be completely prevented. Since the present invention has a manual communication channel, it deals with problems of a computer or a printer and a power supply cut, and connects the purchaser to a seller by using an emergent telephone. Thus problems between the purchaser and seller can be solved. Since the present invention uses a computer communication having good information processing capability, the seller can provide various services to the purchaser. Sales for the appointed day of a ticket, advance sales, changes of a seat and a time, and a cancellation is simply performed through a communication. The purchaser can display an arrangement plan of seats, pictures of sales articles, a dealing place, an entrance area for attendance, a traffic guide, sales promotion advertisement of similar items with a computer graphic on a computer monitor.

A bar code and various information are printed on the ticket. When the purchaser has the ticket, the seller guides service information to the purchaser so that intended sales promotion is also obtained. Since the service information from the seller is provided to the purchaser by using a computer software, the seller can provide suitable information to the purchaser. According to the present invention, since an user of a general computer which an attached printer becomes the object of a ticket purchaser, the ticket purchaser pays the money for the ticket by using the computer with the attached printer without additional equipment and issues the ticket. Furthermore, since the present invention uses a generally personal computer, it is different from a special ticket vending machine at a public place. A purchaser need not visit a place for an internet or a personal computer user but easily performs home ticketing and issuing ticket by using internet without additional equipment .

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A ticket selling method, said method comprising the steps of : reading sales information of a ticket to be purchased through a data network by a computer communication to decide about a desired ticket by means of a purchaser computer; paying a seller money for the purchased ticket by the purchaser computer; transmitting an encoded bar code having relevant dealing information of the purchased ticket to the purchaser computer in response to the payment of the money for the purchased ticket from the purchaser computer; printing a ticket having the encoded bar code transmitted to the seller computer from the purchaser computer by a purchaser printer; and detecting validity of the printed ticket by a seller bar code reader.

2. A ticket selling apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a purchaser computer for reading sales information of a ticket to be purchased through a data network by means of a computer communication to decide about a desired ticket, and paying a seller money for the purchased ticket, by a ticket purchaser; a seller computer for transmitting an encoded bar code having relevant dealing information of the purchased ticket to the purchaser computer in response to the payment of the money for the purchased ticket from the purchaser computer; a printer for printing a ticket having the encoded bar code transmitted to the seller computer from the purchaser computer; and a bar code reader for detecting validity of the ticket printed by the printer.