Event Ticket Queue Management via Probabilistic Workflow Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Online ticket purchasing systems face challenges in maximizing ticket sales while providing a favorable user experience, particularly during high-volume events, due to processing limitations that can lead to user wait times and incorrect event sell-out determinations, resulting in an unfavorable user experience.

Innovation Solution

An event management system employs a probabilistic model to dynamically manage user requests by associating them with in-process, queue, or termination workflows based on the probability of ticket availability, optimizing the number of users in each workflow to minimize wait times and ensure tickets are sold efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the system processes a high volume of ticket sales requests simultaneously, then ticket sales efficiency is improved, but system processing limitations cause user wait times and incorrect sell-out determinations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveticket sales efficiencyVSAvoidcorrectness of sell-out determination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by placing user requests in a queue workflow before processing them. This allows the system to prepare and organize requests in advance, assigning unique identifiers and tracking their status before actual ticket allocation occurs, thereby preventing incorrect sell-out determinations while maintaining high processing capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary queue workflow that mediates between incoming ticket purchase requests and the actual ticket allocation process. This intermediary layer decouples request reception from ticket processing, allowing the system to handle high volumes of requests reliably without losing track of individual user entitlements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Use of energy by moving object

If the system limits the number of user sessions in the ticket purchase workflow, then system resource consumption is reduced, but user wait times increase and tickets may sell out incorrectly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem resource consumptionVSAvoiduser wait time

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically manages workflow transitions based on resource availability. User sessions can transition between queue workflow and in-process workflow states, allowing the system to flexibly allocate processing resources while maintaining user request integrity. This dynamic state management reduces resource consumption during queuing while enabling rapid processing when resources become available

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the ticket purchase workflow into distinct phases: queue workflow and in-process workflow. This segmentation allows the system to limit concurrent in-process sessions to manageable resource levels while accumulating additional requests in the queue workflow, effectively decoupling resource constraints from user wait times

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If users are placed in a queue workflow to purchase tickets, then system processing capacity is preserved, but users may wait indefinitely and be unable to purchase tickets even when available

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem processing capacityVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor ticket availability and user queue status. When tickets become available or user positions in the queue improve, the system automatically notifies users and enables workflow transitions. This feedback loop ensures users are not left waiting indefinitely and can complete purchases when conditions permit, maintaining both system capacity and user experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8606644B1Order queue management in event ticket network systems

Publication Date: 2013.12.10 EVENTBRITE

AI summary

In particular embodiments, a method includes receiving a request to purchase tickets for an event from a user, and associating the request with a queue workflow or a termination workflow based on an application of a probabilistic model, where the inputs to the probabilistic model may include the number of tickets requested by the user, the total number of tickets that other users are requesting to purchase, and the current number of tickets available for the event.