Patent ID: 7945463

Claim:
A method of processing electronic queue data, the method comprising: receiving electronic data messages from a plurality of online user terminals over a data network, wherein the electronic data messages include requests for tickets to attend an event; storing electronic data from the received electronic data messages in a first electronic queue maintained in processor readable memory, wherein the electronic queue data comprises the stored electronic data, so that there is a number of ticket-related requests in the first electronic queue; determining or estimating the number of online ticket-related requests that are in the first electronic queue using a system including one or more processors, wherein the online ticket-related requests are for event tickets being offered for sale online via the system, wherein the event tickets are purchasable via the system; based at least in part on the number of online ticket-related requests that are in the first electronic queue and historical queue abandonment data, selecting, using the system, at least one of a plurality of displayable notification-types regarding the first electronic queue to be provided to at least one user that has an online ticket-related request in the first electronic queue using the system, wherein the plurality of displayable notification types include at least two of the following notification types: a notification that does not include a queue wait time estimate for servicing of the online-ticket related request of the at least one user; a notification that includes an indication as to whether an event ticket is likely to be unavailable when the online-ticket related request of the at least one user is serviced; a notification that includes an estimated queue wait time rounded up to the nearest minute; a notification that includes the estimated queue wait time presented as being less than a specified time duration; a notification that includes the estimated queue wait time with a resolution in seconds; and transmitting over the data network a displayable notification corresponding to the at least one selected displayable notification-type to a user terminal associated with at least one user that has an online ticket-related request in the first electronic queue, wherein the at least one user submitted at least one online ticket-related request via the user terminal.