Certification of fan status and corresponding marketplace for digital collectibles

Abstract

The present invention is related to systems and methods for creating, validating, updating, and certifying fan status. The present invention is directed to creating a platform for fan communications and engagement. The present invention also includes a marketplace for transacting digital collectibles of interest to fans. Fan status in the present invention is a metric of social interaction, engagement, time spent, money spent, events attended, and/or other ways of measuring support and interest. Both quantitative and qualitative measures of fan status are compatible with the present invention. Preferably, the fan status is used for fans of sports teams.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for facilitating fan engagement comprising:
 at least one computer including a processor, a memory, and at least one database; and   at least one mobile device, wherein the at least one mobile device includes an application;   wherein the at least one database includes device data, and wherein the device data includes location data determined via a geolocation component of the device;   wherein a user account associated with the at least one mobile device includes user data, wherein the user data includes a fan status of a user;   wherein at least one digital certificate is associated with the user account in the at least one database;   wherein the at least one digital certificate is created from an image including at least one photograph captured through the application; and   wherein the image includes event information derived from a geolocation of the mobile device at the time of creation of the photograph.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one digital certificate is linked to and includes a reference to at least one physical certificate. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the digital certificate is associated with at least one specific sports team, at least one sports league, and/or at least one specific sports player. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one database includes a distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger is a blockchain, and wherein the at least one digital certificate is stored on the blockchain. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mobile device further includes at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor produces sensor data, wherein the sensor data includes accelerometer data, magnetometer data, gyroscope data, barometer data, ambient light data, proximity sensor data, temperature data, humidity data, WIFI signal data, radio frequency signal data, depth sensor data, an image, a video, an audio recording, visual odometry data, and/or visual sensor data. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application is a web-browser based application operable to be accessed through a web browser running on the at least one mobile device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application is a mobile application installed on the at least one mobile device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the location data is created via a global positioning system (GPS), a beacon, a wireless network, radio frequency (RF), RF identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC), a geofencing component, an internet protocol (IP) address, magnetic positioning, and/or cellular triangulation. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer is operable to use the location data to verify attendance of the user at an event, wherein the event includes a concert, a sporting event, and/or a watch party. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application includes a community search, wherein the community search provides for searching for other user accounts based on a team affiliation and geography. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the application includes a map interface operable to display pins illustrating current locations or former locations of the other user accounts within a geographic location, wherein the current locations or the former locations of the other user accounts are created by geolocation components on mobile devices associated with the other user accounts. 
     
     
         12 . A system for facilitating fan engagement comprising:
 at least one computer including a processor, a memory, and at least one database; and   at least one mobile device, wherein the at least one mobile device includes an application and at least one sensor;   wherein the at least one database includes device and user data;   wherein the application includes a social network platform providing a social network for the user account;   wherein the application is operable to generate at least one digital certificate associated with the user account, wherein the at least one digital certificate is associated with a sports team, sports player, sports venue, and/or sports event;   wherein a profile associated with a second user account is operable to be accessed through the social network platform of the application upon the at least one mobile device scanning a unique code associated with the second user account;   wherein scanning the unique code associated with the second user account causes the second user account to be added to the social network for the user account; and   wherein the user account associated with the at least one mobile device includes user data, where the user data includes a fan status of a user.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the device and user data includes location data, wherein the at least one computer is operable to use the location data to verify attendance of the user at an event. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the application includes a marketplace providing digital collectibles, wherein the digital collectibles include an image, a video, an audio file, and/or a graphics interchange format (GIF) file. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the application includes a community search, wherein the community search provides for searching for other user accounts based on a team affiliation and geography. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the fan status of the user is created, validated, updated, or certified using the user data. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the application is a mobile application installed on the at least one mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . A system for facilitating fan engagement comprising:
 at least one computer including a processor, a memory, and at least one database; and   at least one mobile device, wherein the at least one mobile device includes an application;   wherein the at least one database includes device data and user data;   wherein the user account associated with the at least one mobile device includes the user data, wherein the user data includes a fan status of a user; and   wherein the user data further includes a unique fan identification (ID) and a unique code, wherein the unique code links to a profile associated with the user account when scanned or read by a second device;   wherein the application includes a community search, wherein the community search provides for searching for other user accounts based on a team affiliation and geography; and   wherein the application includes a map interface operable to display pins illustrating current locations or former locations of the other user accounts within a geographic location, wherein the current locations or the former locations of the other user accounts are created by geolocation components on mobile devices associated with the other user accounts.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the location data is created via a global positioning system (GPS), a beacon, a wireless network, radio frequency (RF), RF identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC), a geofencing component, an internet protocol (IP) address, magnetic positioning, and/or cellular triangulation. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one computer is operable to use the location data to verify attendance of the user at an event.