Blockchain Ticketing With Masked Barcodes to Prevent Duplication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rise of digital ticketing has made it easier for fraudsters to duplicate tickets, leading to increased fraudulent sales, unrestricted resale, and price inflation, with existing solutions failing to prevent duplication and enhance the event attendee experience.
Innovation Solution
A secure ticketing platform using privacy restricted non-fungible tokens (pr-NFTs) on a blockchain network, with smart contracts that mask barcode identifiers until triggered, ensuring authenticity and offering dynamic experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If digital-only tickets are used to prevent physical ticket fraud, then ticket security is improved, but the ability to detect fake tickets and scams deteriorates because digital tickets can be easily duplicated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by masking the barcode identifier before the event and only revealing it when needed at the venue. This prevents premature exposure of the ticket code, reducing the risk of duplication while maintaining security throughout the ticket lifecycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The ticket system transitions from a static digital code to a dynamic revealed barcode identifier. The barcode mask is dynamically removed at the appropriate time, transforming the ticket from an encrypted state to an actionable state, thereby maintaining security until the moment of use.
2Ease of operation
If digital tickets are made accessible to consumers, then ease of purchase is improved, but unrestricted resale creates price inflation and feeds fraudulent markets
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by implementing resale restrictions directly into the smart contract before the event. The barcode mask prevents unauthorized resale attempts from succeeding, thereby countering price inflation and fraudulent market activity before they can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the ticket by introducing a mask on the barcode identifier and implementing resale restrictions. These parameter changes transform the ticket from freely resellable to restricted, thereby preventing price inflation while maintaining ease of initial purchase.
3Reliability
If barcode visibility is limited to prevent fraud, then security is improved, but the ability to scan and validate tickets deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by masking the barcode identifier in advance and only removing the mask when the ticket is ready for validation at the event. This ensures that the barcode is protected during storage and transfer but becomes fully accessible and scannable when needed, maintaining both security and validation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The barcode identifier transitions dynamically from a masked state to an unmasked state. This dynamic transformation allows the system to maintain fraud prevention during the ticket lifecycle while ensuring rapid and efficient validation at the event by removing the mask just in time for scanning.
4Reliability
If smart contracts with privacy restricted NFTs are used, then fraudulent duplication is prevented, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smart contract serves multiple functions: it mints the NFT, masks the barcode identifier, manages the reveal timing, enforces resale restrictions, and validates ticket authenticity. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional smart contract, the system prevents duplication while managing complexity through integration rather than multiple separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to improved secure ticketing methods, APIs, and platforms that address duplicative fraudulent tickets and concurrently afford dynamic features that can offer restrictions and benefits to the secure tickets. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the secure ticketing methods, APIs and platforms are scalable, consistent, and efficient. Moreover, the secure ticketing methods, APIs, and platforms dynamically offer assignable immersive experiences upon ticket scanning, creating digital memorabilia and other real-world experiences. In certain embodiments the secure ticketing methods, APIs, and platforms afford a solution for addressing price inflation created by ticket purchasing bots.