EXHIBIT 1010
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`EXHIBIT 1010
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`(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT)
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`(19) World Intellectual Property Organization
`International Bureau
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`I lllll llllllll II llllll lllll llll I II Ill lllll lllll 111111111111111111111111111111111
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`(43) International Publication Date
`27 September 2001 (27.09.2001)
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`PCT
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`(10) International Publication Number
`WO 01/71669 A2
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`(51) International Patent Classification7:
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`G07B
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`(21) International Application Number: PCT/USOl/09146
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`(22) International Filing Date: 22 March 2001 (22.03.2001)
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`(25) Filing Language:
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`(26) Publication Language:
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`English
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`English
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`(30) Priority Data:
`09/532,896
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`22 March 2000 (22.03.2000) US
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`(71) Applicant (jor all designated States except US): GLOBAL
`ETICKET EXCHANGE LTD. [US/US]; 344 Maple Av(cid:173)
`enue, West, PMB 249, Vienna, VA 22180 (US).
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`(74) Agents: LABARRE, James, A. et al.; Bums, Doane,
`Swecker & Mathis, L.L.P., P.O. Box 1404, Alexandria, VA
`22313-1404 (US).
`
`(81) Designated States (national): AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU,
`AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CN, CO, CR, CU,
`CZ, DE, DK, DM, DZ, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM,
`HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK,
`LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX,
`MZ, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL,
`TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW.
`
`(84) Designated States (regional): ARIPO patent (GH, GM,
`KE, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), Eurasian
`patent (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), European
`patent (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE,
`IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE, TR), OAPI patent (BF, BJ, CF,
`CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG).
`
`(72) Inventors; and
`(75) Inventors/Applicants (jor US only): NESTOR, Tod,
`A. [US/US]; 1834 Elgin Drive, Vienna, VA 22182 (US).
`PATRICK, Robert [US/US]; 10 Ironmaster Court,
`Thurmont, MD 21788 (US). CIANCIARUSO, Benito
`[US/US]; 8614 Indian Springs Road, Laurel, MD 20724
`(US).
`
`iiiiiiii
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`!!!!!!!!
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`Published:
`without international search report and to be republished
`upon receipt of that report
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`For two-letter codes and other abbreviations, refer to the "Guid(cid:173)
`ance Notes on Codes and Abbreviations" appearing at the begin(cid:173)
`ning of each regular issue of the PCT Gazette.
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`- (54) Title: ENTERTAINMENT EVENT TICKET PURCHASE AND EXCHANGE SYSTEM
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`(57) Abstract: An electronic ticket exchange system enables venue owners to sell tickets to patrons at a fair market value for each
`event, and patrons to more easily trade and transfer the tickets among one another after they have been purchased from the venue
`M owner. Tickets for an event are initially offered to the public by the venue owner, using a market-making system. Patrons submit
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`< bids over a limited time period, for seats of different quality, and an initial price is established for each quality of seat. A trading
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`system provides for a secondary market in which patrons who have purchased tickets for an event can readily transfer them to other
`0--, patrons, without requiring the services of a broker or the like. In this system, physical tickets are not required. Rather, all of the rights
`\0 associated with a ticket, such as entry into the venue, parking privileges, designated seating, etc., are stored in a electronic form. An
`~ electronic venue entry control system verifies that a person owns an electronic ticket property right, and authorizes the privileges
`....... associated with the ticket, such as access to parking facilities, entry to the venue, purchase of concessions and/or merchandise, and
`S the initial sale of tickets and prior to entry into the venue. The specific assigned seats are indicated to the ticket holder at the time of
`-..... the like. A seating system is employed to determine an optimal seating configuration based upon patron- specific preferences, after
`0 carried out within the system can then be easily accomplished through a single membership number, which is permanent and unique
`> to the member. Each such member can be provided with a suitable device which interfaces with the entry system to provide access
`~ to the venue, and parking if appropriate.
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`entry. Patrons who regularly purchase tickets can join an organization associated with the ticket exchange system. All transactions
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`WO 01/71669
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`PCT/USOl/09146
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`ENTERTAINMENT EVENT TICKET
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`PURCHASE AND EXCHANGE SYSTEM
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`Field of the Invention
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`The present invention is generally directed to the sale and use of tickets for
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`entertainment events that have restricted admission, such as sporting events,
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`theatrical performances, concerts, movies, amusement parks, and the like, and
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`more particularly to an electronic ticket exchange system which maximizes the
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`revenue that artists, promoters and/or entertainment venue owners can receive
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`from events, while at the same time facilitating the ability of patrons to obtain and
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`trade electronic tickets as desired, as well as to gain entry to entertainment events.
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`Background of the Invention
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`Most entertainment events require patrons to purchase a ~icket in order to
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`gain entry into the venue at which the event is being presented. Conventionally,
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`there are various avenues by which patrons can obtain tickets. One such avenue is
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`to purchase them directly at the site of the venue itself, for example immediately
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`prior to the event, at a pre-established face value. For popular events, it is
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`desirable to purchase the tickets ahead of time, particularly if the event is likely to
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`be sold out or preferential seating is desired. In such a situation, it may be
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`inconvenient to travel to the venue at such an earlier time. In many cases,
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`therefore, it is possible to obtain tickets through a ticket agent. Typically, such
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`purchases can be made telephonically, via the Internet, or at distributed ticket sales
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`locations that are more convenient to the potential attendees. Generally, the ticket
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`agent has an ongoing relationship with the event venue, by which the venue owner
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`authorizes the ticket agent to sell and distribute paper tickets for the individual
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`events to be held at the venue. In some cases the ticket agents handle all of the
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`tickets for an event, whereas in other cases they may only sell excess tickets that
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`the venue owner is not able to directly sell. In these arrangements, the ticket agent
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`may charge the patron a handling and/or distribution fee.
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`The third avenue for the patron is to obtain tickets through a third-party
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`broker who purchases a number of tickets, usually for popular events, and resells
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`them to the patrons. Quite often, the tickets are resold at a price which is
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`significantly above the face value of the tickets. Typically, a broker may bundle
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`the ticket with travel arrangements, memorabilia, etc., to justify the increased
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`price of the total package provided to the buyer. All of the profit that results from
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`selling the tickets at a higher value remains with the broker; none of it flows back
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`to the venue owner.
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`As a fourth mechanism, individuals may buy tickets from the original
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`purchasers, and resell them to others at a significantly higher price. These
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`individuals are sometimes known as 11scalpers 11
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`• Again, all of the profit from the
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`higher price remains with the scalper, rather than flowing back to the venue
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`owner, promoter or artist. These activities are usually illegal, and can be found
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`almost anywhere.
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`Currently, prices for event tickets are fixed well prior to the event.
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`Depending upon the popularity of the event, the venue may be full to capacity,
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`empty, or partially filled at the time of the event. For highly popular events in
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`which the venue is filled to capacity, the venue owner may not realize the
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`maximum potential revenue for that event, because the patrons may have been
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`willing to pay more, as evidenced by the existence of brokers and scalpers.
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`Conversely, when the demand for an entertainment product is much lower, such as
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`in the case of losing athletic teams, less popular acts, and the like, the tickets may
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`be overpriced, resulting in lower attendance. By lowering the prices for the
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`tickets, it is likely that more people will attend the event, resulting in more seats
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`being filled. Even though the revenue per ticket may be lower in such a case,
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`ancillary benefits arise from the ability to offer a fair value for lower-demand
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`entertainment events. For instance, there is likely to be increased loyalty to the
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`venue owner, or team, since the patron only paid the perceived value of the
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`entertainment. In addition, increased sales from non-ticket revenue sources, such
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`as parking, concessions, merchandise sales, and the like, will likely result from the
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`increased attendance. These non-ticket sources of revenue are generally quite
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`profitable, since the incremental cost necessary to accommodate increased
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`attendance is relatively minimal.
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`In the conventional arrangement, one physical ticket, e.g., a paper ticket, is
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`generated for each available seat at a venue, and each attendee is required to
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`present a ticket to gain entrance to the venue. This requirement for physical
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`possession of tickets places a restriction on the patron's ability to freely exchange
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`tickets, particularly as the time of the event draws near. Typically, if a purchaser
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`of a ticket is unable to attend the event, he or she may attempt to sell it or give it
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`to an acquaintance, broker or scalper. In some cases, the purchaser may attempt
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`to dispose of the ticket through an online auction site. However, this procedure
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`has time constraints, since the seller must be able to physically deliver the ticket to
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`the purchaser in time for it to be received prior to the event. Often, the purchaser
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`is left with the option of simply forfeiting the cost of the ticket, or reselling it to a
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`broker, usually at a substantial discount to its fair market value.
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`Summary of the Invention
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`It is an objective of the present invention to provide a system for the sale,
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`exchange and use of tickets which enables a venue owner to maximize the potential
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`revenue that can be achieved with each event. Furthermore, it is desirable to
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`provide a system which can forego with the need for physical bearer-type tickets,
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`and thereby facilitate the patron's ability to more easily exchange tickets.
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`In accordance with the present invention, these objectives are achieved by
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`means of an electronic ticket exchange system by which venue owners can sell
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`tickets to patrons at a fair market value for each event, and the patrons can more
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`easily trade and transfer the tickets among one another after they have been
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`purchased. Tickets for an event are initially offered to the public, typically by the
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`venue owner, using a market-making system. In this system, patrons submit bids
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`over a limited time period, for seats of different quality. Once the limited bidding
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`period expires, an initial price is established for each quality of seat, on the basis
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`of the submitted bids and an econometric model that takes into account certain
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`constraints and other factors. The tickets are then sold to the public at that price.
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`Thus, the owner is able to establish a fair-market value for each quality of seat at
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`each event, rather than being locked into a pricing structure that may not optimize
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`profits for the owner.
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`Another feature of the invention is a trading system which provides for a
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`secondary market in which patrons who have purchased tickets for an event can
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`readily sell them to other patrons, without requiring the services of a broker or the
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`like. The ability to freely exchange tickets is facilitated by a further feature of the
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`invention which dispenses with the need for physical tickets. In accordance with
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`this aspect of the invention, all of the rights associated with a ticket, such as entry
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`into the venue, parking privileges, designated seating, can be are stored in a
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`electronic form. Hence, all trading can be performed electronically, using various
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`methods, without the need to exchange any physical material between the buyer
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`and the seller.
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`When an electronic ticket is employed, another feature of the invention
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`provides an electronic venue entry control system. Upon presentation of one of
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`various predetermined forms of unique identification, the control system verifies
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`that a person owns an electronic ticket property right, and then authorizes the
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`privileges associated with the ticket, such as access to parking facilities, entry to
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`the venue, purchase of concessions and/or merchandise, and the like. As a further
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`feature, specific seats need not be assigned at the time the tickets are purchased.
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`Rather, a seating system can be employed to determine an optimal seating
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`configuration based upon patron-specific preferences, for instance after completion
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`of an initial sale of tickets. The specific assigned seats can then be indicated to the
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`ticket holder at the time of entry.
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`In a preferred implementation of the invention, patrons who regularly
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`purchase tickets become members of an organization associated with the ticket
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`5
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`exchange system. All transactions carried out within the system can then be easily
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`accomplished through a single membership number, which is permanent and
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`unique to the member. Each such member can be provided with a contactless
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`card, or suitable mechanism which interfaces with the entry system to provide
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`access to the venue, and parking if appropriate. Examples of such include key
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`fobs, PDAs, cellular telephones, and other such devices which can store and
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`transmit the unique member identification. The identification device can also be
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`used to make purchases of merchandise, concessions, parking and the like at the
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`venue. Members can also be provided with electronic notification of the
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`availability of tickets and current market prices for them.
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`Among the advantages offered by the invention, venue owners can obtain a
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`true "market value" for tickets, rather than be forced to guess at a reasonable face
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`value. Furthermore, the ability to trade tickets on a secondary market results in
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`selling attendance, rather than seats, providing a higher yield of the venue, along
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`with increased convenience and liquidity for the patrons. The electronic
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`notification services further enhances the likelihood that available tickets will be
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`sold. The venue owner is able to obtain and track information regarding patron
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`bidding, purchases and trading. The identification device enables additional
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`information to be obtained that contribute to more efficient marketing, sales and
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`inventory management, such as concession and merchandise sales.
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`These and other features and advantages of the invention are described in
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`detail hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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`PCT/USOl/09146
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`Brief Description of the Drawings
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`-6-
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`Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the relationship of parties involved in
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`conventional entertainment events;
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`Figure 2 is a general block diagram of the major components of an electronic
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`ticket exchange system in accordance with the present invention;
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`Figure 3 is a block diagram of the payment system;
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`Figure 4 is a block diagram of the entry system; and
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`Figures 5-8 are flowcharts of operations which occur with the electronic
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`ticket exchange system.
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`Detailed Description
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`The present invention comprises an electronic ticket exchange system that
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`can be employed in connection with any type of entertainment event in which
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`proof of entitlement to entry, such as a ticket or the like, must be given to provide
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`a patron with access to the event. To facilitate an understanding of the principles
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`which underlie the invention, it will be described hereinafter with occasional
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`reference to its application in the context of particular examples of entertainment,
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`such as sporting events. It will be appreciated, however, that the practical
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`applications of the invention are not limited to these specific examples. Rather, its
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`general applicability to all types of entertainment events and venues will be
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`apparent from an understanding of the following description. For instance,
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`various features of the invention can be employed in the context of musical
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`concerts and other live performances, movie theaters, amusement parks, and other
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`situations in which access is to be limited to those who have purchased a ticket or
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`can otherwise demonstrate entitlement to attend.
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`A number of different entities may be involved in entertainment events.
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`These entities, and their conventional relationship to one another, are depicted in
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`the block diagram of Figure 1. Typically, an entertainment event is defined as a
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`presentation by an artist 1 at a venue 2 at a designated date and time. Depending
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`upon the nature of the event, the artist could be an athletic team or individual
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`athletes, a band, actors and/or actresses, or other types of performers. For some
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`venues, the entertainment may not include a performance by a "live" artist. For
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`instance, it m;:i.y be presentation of a movie, participation in an amusement ride, or
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`the like. The venue could be an athletic stadium, a hall or concert center, a golf
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`course, or other suitable form of property where access to an event is controlled.
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`Typically, a promoter 3 creates interest in the entertainment to entice
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`attendance by spectators. The promoter may be responsible for scheduling the
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`venue, negotiating contracts, and handling the various administrative tasks
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`associated with the entertainment event. Depending upon the type of
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`entertainment, the artist, promoter and venue owner could all be closely related, or
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`could be independent of one another. In the case of athletic teams, for example,
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`the venue owner and the promoter may be the same entity.
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`The patrons 4 are those people who purchase tickets in order to observe,
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`enjoy and participate in the entertainment being provided. The patrons can be
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`individuals, corporations, traders and the like. They could also be any one or
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`more of the artist, venue owner and promoter themselves, who may distribute the
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`tickets as gifts or promotional offers.
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`Ticket agents 5 are third parties whom the venue owners engage to sell and
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`distribute tickets to entertainment events, in lieu of, or in addition to, directly
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`selling the tickets themselves. Brokers and scalpers 6 are third-party traders who
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`purchase tickets, primarily for popular events, and resell them to patrons at prices
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`that are typically greater than, but sometimes less than, the face value of the
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`tickets. The brokers can be small-scale businesses, such as ticket broker agencies,
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`or individuals. Scalpers are typically individuals. The brokers and scalpers may
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`obtain the tickets directly from the venue, or from ticket agents, or from patrons.
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`In accordance with the present invention, an electronic ticket exchange
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`system replaces the functions of the ticket agents 5 and brokers 6, and offers added
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`value to the venue owner and the patron. The electronic ticket exchange system is
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`typically sponsored by the venue owners. The basic components of the electronic
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`ticket exchange system are illustrated in the block diagram of Figure 2. The
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`electronic ticket exchange system includes a patron interface 10 by which patrons
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`can purchase tickets for desired events, as well as trade purchased tickets with
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`other patrons. A patron's access to the system can be obtained by a variety of
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`different means. For example, the patron can interact with the system by means of
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`the Internet, using any suitable form of communication for connection to the
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`Internet, such as a standard web browser, PDA, Internet appliance, etc. For this
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`purpose, the interface is supported by web servers 12 for transmitting the
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`appropriate HTML pages, or the like, to permit the patron to view information
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`regarding available events and enter requests for tickets. To accommodate patrons
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`who access the internet via cellular phones or other wireless devices, the web
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`servers can include one or more servers 13 which support wireless communication
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`technologies, such as the wireless access protocol (W AP), Bluetooth, IEEE
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`802. llB, iMode, HiperLAN (European) RF, etc. Alternatively, the patron can
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`perform these operations by means of a telephone system 14 or an interactive
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`television system 15 which also forms part of the patron interface 10. In a
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`telephone system access, the patron might speak to a live operator, or use an
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`automated menu system to obtain information and enter requests. As a further
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`component, the patron interface might include several walk-up kiosks 16 at
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`distributed locations, for example in shopping malls, retail outlets, convenience
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`stores, and the like. Such kiosks can also be located at the site of the venue itself,
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`for direct access by the patrons or operation by ticket sales personnel at the
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`venue's box office. Alternatively, the venue box office can sell and trade tickets
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`via a web browser or similar such interface.
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`The patron interface 10 enables the patron to perform a number of
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`fundamental types of operations, such as (1) to obtain information about events at
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`one or more venues affiliated with the system, (2) bid upon and/or purchase tickets
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`to desired events, (3) exchange tickets among multiple patrons, and (4) schedule
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`notification alerts. In addition, the patrons may be able to order merchandise and
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`other goods, link to related sites, etc. Information regarding the events that are
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`scheduled for the affiliated venues is stored in a venue/event database 18. When a
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`patron first accesses the system via the interface 10, a list or menu of the affiliated
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`venues or events can be provided, to permit the patron to make a selection.
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`Preferably, the views presented by the interface are customizable, so that the
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`patron can view all venues and then select a specific event, or view all events and
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`then select an appropriate venue. Seating maps 20 for the affiliated venues are
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`stored in conjunction with the database 18. Once the user has selected a particular
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`venue and event, the appropriate seating map can be displayed to permit the patron
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`to assess the relevant information for various categories of seating quality, when
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`either the Internet access or the walk-up kiosks are employed. In the case of
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`telephone access, the seating map can be displayed to the telephone operator.
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`In a preferred implementation of the invention, the patrons who access the
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`system are members of an organization affiliated with the system. A profile of
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`information pertaining to each member is stored in a database 22. Each profile
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`might include, for example, a credit card, bank account, or other source of funds
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`that are to be used when tickets are purchased, seating preferences, group
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`memberships, and the like. When the patron purchases tickets for a particular
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`event, information regarding the method of payment is retrieved from the database
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`22 and forwarded to a payment system 24. At the same time, information is
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`recorded which indicates that the user has purchased one or more tickets for the
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`event. This information could be stored in the patron profile database 22, or the
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`venue/event database 18, or both.
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`The payment system 24 processes all of the monetary transactions which
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`occur within the ticket exchange system. When a need to confirm a request to
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`purchase tickets occurs, the price of the tickets is forwarded to the payment system
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`24, where it is debited against the form of payment which has been established by
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`the patron, e.g. credit card, debit card, cash balance on deposit, designated
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`checking account, etc. If desirable, the payment system can ensure that the proper
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`funds are available and confirm that fact to a central server 26 before the
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`transaction is completed.
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`The payment system 24 can also be used to facilitate other types of purchases
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`by the patron. As described previously, the patrons who access the ticket
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`exchange system can be members of an organization. Their membership can be
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`indicated by means of a membership card or a token which serves as an
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`identification device. The membership identification device can take any of a
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`variety of forms, and preferably is one which is capable of electronically, optically
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`or magnetically storing a membership identifier, e.g. a number, alphanumeric
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`string, or code, and transferring that identifier to a transaction device, through
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`either physical contact or in a contactless manner. Examples of suitable
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`identification devi~es include smart cards, magnetic stripe memory cards, RFID
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`devices such as key fobs, tags, watches, etc., barcoded tags and the like, personal
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`digital assistants (PDAs), wireless telephones, and biometric features. Whenever
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`the member makes a purchase at the venue, the identification device can be used to
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`debit the member's account via the payment system, in lieu of cash. Thus, the
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`identification device can be used to pay for parking at the venue, as well as
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`purchase concessions, services and merchandise while attending an event.
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`A more detailed illustration of the implementation of the payment system is
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`illustrated in the block diagram of Figure 3. A core payment server 28
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`communicates with the central server 26 and receives information regarding ticket
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`purchases by patrons. The amounts of purchases are forwarded to a bank card
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`processing agency 30, which verifies the patron's credit or debit card and provides
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`an authorization code for the transaction. In the case of a cash balance on deposit,
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`or pre-approved credit limits, the verification can be performed internally within
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`the server 28.
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`Local payment servers 32 can be located at each of the individual venues.
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`The local servers communicate with identification device readers 34 at the
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`concession stands and other points of sale. In the case of parking payments, the
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`parking facilities can be equipped with portable readers 36 which communicate
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`with the local servers via radio wave communication. The local servers 32 receive
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`information as purchases are made, and forward this information to the core
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`payment server 28. The communication of this data to the primary server can
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`occur in real time, or in a batch mode on a regular basis. In the case of real-time
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`mode operation, it may be preferable for the local servers to communicate directly
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`with the credit card agency 30, to authorize transactions as they are being made.
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`The core payment server 28 consolidates all of the transaction information to
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`provide reports to the patrons regarding the activity on their accounts. Preferably,
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`the patrons can access these reports via the web access server 12.
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`An associated advantage that arises from the use of the membership
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`identification devices to make purchases is the fact that it permits the detailed item
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`transaction data to be collected for later mining and analysis. For instance, the
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`venue owners can determine the types of merchandise, food and drinks that are the
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`most popular at different types of events. This data can even be categorized
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`according to quality of seating section, so that the various concession stands are
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`stocked appropriately. It also facilitates the ability to target various groups of
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`patrons, and direct actionable marketing to them on a real-time basis.
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`In addition to purchasing behavior, other information can be collected and
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`analyzed to improve the services offered through the ticket exchange system.
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`Examples of such information include bids for initial purchase of tickets, bids for
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`subsequent trades involving tickets, utilization of parking facilities, etc. Similarly,
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`the patrons may use their membership identification to effect purchases away from
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`the site of the venue itself, such as buying team apparel from a team-sponsored
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`Internet site. In essence, any transaction that takes place in connection with the
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`membership number via any medium can be collected and tracked for subsequent
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`data mining.
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`One of the principle advantages of the electronic ticket exchange system of
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`the present invention is the fact that physical tickets are not required to gain entry
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`into the entertainment venue. Rather, the patron's purchase of a ticket is
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`electronically stored in the system, e.g. in the databases 18 and/or 22, and
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`5
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`identifies the patron's right to enter the venue for a specific event. To this end,
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`another component of the ticket exchange system is an entry system 38 located at
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`each affiliated venue. Upon arrival at the venue, the patrons need only present
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`suitable forms of identification which confirm that they are the persons having
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`electronic tickets registered in the system. In the preferred implementation of the
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`10
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`invention in which the patrons possess membership identification devices, those
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`devices can be used to gain entry to the venue, as well as make purchases as
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`described previously. Hence, a single membership identification device can be re(cid:173)
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`used at all of the venues which are affiliated with the electronic ticket exchange
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`system.
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`15
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`A more detailed illustration of the entry system is illustrated in Figure 4.
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`Each venue has one or more entry servers 40 affiliated with it. Preferably, the
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`entry server is located at or very near the site of the venue, and communicates with
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`the central server 26 to receive data regarding those patrons whose records indicate
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`that they possess an electronic ticket for admission to a given event at that venue,
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`20
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`as well as guaranteed parking and other rights associated with an electronic ticket.
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`An access-control device 42 is connected to the server 40 to provide
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`admission to the venue upon presentation of the proper identification. Depending
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`upon the number of entry locations at the venue, a multiplicity of such entry
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`devices may be employed. Each device is equipped with a reader 44 'to receive the
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`25
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`appropriate information from the attendee's identification device, and provide the
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`patron's identity to the server 40 to confirm ownership of the proper electronic
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`ticket for the event. Upon receipt of confirmation from the server, approval is
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`given to permit entry. Depending upon the nature of the access-control device, the
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`approval can take different forms. For example, in one implementation the access-
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`control device can be turnstile or other mechanically-controlled gate. In this case,
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`the approval can be release of the gate to permit one person to pass. In another
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`instance, the access control might be manually enforced, such as a rope that is
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`controlled by a security person. In this case, the approval could simply be a
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`message on a screen, or a colored light to indicate whether a person should be
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`permitted to pass, or stopped.
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`The recognition of a patron's right to gain access to an event can take
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`different forms. In one embodiment of the invention, a token which indicates the
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`right to a particular seat, or type of seat, can be stored in a database 18 or 22 at a
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`remote server 26, in association with the patron's membership identifier number.
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`The token and associated membership identifier can be downloaded to the event
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`server 40 prior to the event. In this case, when the patron presents his or her
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`identification device, the access-control device 42 checks the identifier against the
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`database, to determine whether the token is present. If so