Blending Electronic Inventory via Standardized Data Objects

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Online ticket marketplaces face challenges in blending inventory from multiple sellers due to differing data formats and verifying seat availability across various systems, making real-time searches and transactions complex.

Innovation Solution

An online ticket marketplace system formats data from multiple sellers into standardized data objects, tags them with seller identifiers, and verifies availability before confirming purchases, allowing buyers to request and purchase seat combinations from multiple sellers in a single transaction without distinguishing between sellers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If data from multiple sellers with differing formats is blended into a single inventory system, then buyer options and inventory versatility increase, but data processing complexity and system integration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinventory blending capabilityVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms heterogeneous data from multiple sellers by changing data parameters and formats into a standardized uniform structure. Data objects are created with consistent fields including seller ID, seat identifiers, and pricing information, enabling seamless blending of inventory from different sources while maintaining data integrity and reducing processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If real-time availability verification is performed across multiple seller systems, then transaction reliability increases, but processing time and system response delay increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveavailability verification accuracyVSAvoidtransaction processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs availability verification as a preliminary action before finalizing transactions. By checking seat availability across multiple seller systems in advance and caching verification results, the system ensures transaction reliability while minimizing the time required during actual purchase operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where availability information from multiple seller systems is continuously monitored and updated. This real-time feedback loop ensures that inventory status remains accurate while optimizing response times through efficient information exchange between systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If standardized data objects with seller tags are implemented, then data consistency and transaction accuracy improve, but data structure complexity and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata formatting consistencyVSAvoiddata storage requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates universal data objects that serve multiple functions: they standardize information from different sellers, enable consistent processing across the platform, and incorporate seller identification tags. This multi-functional approach ensures data consistency while avoiding redundant storage through efficient object design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11315047B2Blending electronic inventory
Publication Date: 2022.04.26 STUBHUB INC
  • US11315047B2 patent drawing
  • US11315047B2 patent drawing
  • US11315047B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Operations to blend electronic inventory are provided. The operations may include obtain a request for multiple seats at a venue and determine a combination of data objects from a data storage that represent seats at the venue that meet the request. The combination of the data objects may include at least one of multiple first data objects and at least one of multiple second data objects. The first data objects may be tagged with a first tag and are associated with first seats in the venue controlled by a first entity and the second data objects may be tagged with a second tag and are associated with second seats in the venue controlled by a second entity, and the combination of the data objects is determined irrespective of whether the data objects include the first tag or the second tag.