Systems and methods for providing resource allocation in a networked environment

1. A resource allocation system, comprising:

a first network interface;

a web proxy processor configured to selectively block an inbound user browser request or route an inbound user browser request to a destination server;

a cache system configured to cache data for access by one or more system components;

a data store storing information regarding a plurality of resources, including rankings of rights to select resources; and

program code stored in computer readable memory which, when executed by a computing device, is configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving requests from users for at least one right to select a resource from a set of resources,

wherein the requests are associated with one or more corresponding rankable attributes;

ranking the users' requests based at least on the corresponding one or more rankable attributes;

allocating the ranked rights to select resources to at least a portion of the users' requests based at least in part on the respective ranking of the requests.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

transmitting to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first fight to select a resource;

receiving at a first chronological time from the first user a first indication that the first user wants to make a resource selection, wherein the first indication is associated with the first code; and

determining if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection based at least in part on the first chronological time.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

at least partly in response to receiving a resource request from a first user at a first chronological time,

wherein the first user has been allocated at least one right to select a resource within a specified time window,

the specified time window excluding the first chronological time,

transmitting a denial notification to the first user,

wherein the denial notification indicates that the first user is not authorized to make a resource selection at the first chronological time.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

transmitting to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select, wherein the system is configured to transmit the first code via email.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

transmitting to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select, wherein system is configured to transmit the first code via an instant message or an SMS message.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

transmitting to at least one user a plurality of time windows from which to select at least one right to select a resource.

7. The system as defined in claim 1 , where at least a first of the rights to select resources is a right to select an event seat.

8. A method of allocating computer resources:

receiving, from a plurality of requesting systems, over a network at a resource allocation system requests for one or more rights to select resources,

wherein the requests are associated with corresponding rankable criteria;

ranking the requests based at least in part on the rankable criteria;

storing in computer readable memory rankings for the rights to select resources;

allocating one or more ranked rights to select resources to the requests based at least in part on the rankable criteria;

transmitting over the network information regarding the allocated rights to select to the requesting processor-based systems, the information including time information related to when requestors can perform resource selections;

receiving over the network at a first time from a first requester an indication that the first requester wants to make a resource selection;

determining if the first requester is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time;

if the first requester is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time:

enabling the first requester to select a resource;

receiving over the network a resource selection from the first requester;

storing in memory an indication that the selected resource has been selected by the first requester;

removing the selected resource from a pool of available resources.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein if the first requester is not authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, a denial notification is transmitted over the network to the first requester.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the denial notification informs the first requester of a time period in which the first requester is authorized to make a resource selection.

11. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the ranked criteria relate to something of value being offered by requesters.

12. The method as defined in claim 8 , the method further comprising informing the first requester of an alternate time window if a first time window allocated to the first requester in which to make a resource selection has passed.

13. The method as defined in claim 8 , the method further comprising transmitting to at least one requester a plurality of time windows from which to choose wherein the at least one requester is to make a resource selection in the chosen time window.

14. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the one or more rights to select resources includes a right to select an event seat.

15. A method of allocating resources, the method comprising:

receiving from a first processor-based system over a network at a resource allocation system a first request from a first user for the right to select a resource from a pool of resources,

wherein the first request is associated with a first rankable attribute;

receiving from a second processor-based system over the network at the resource allocation system a second request from a second user for the right to select a resource from the pool of resources,

wherein the second request is associated with a second rankable attribute;

ranking the first request and the second request using at least the first rankable attribute and the second rankable attribute;

allocating a first ranked right to select a resource from the pool of resources to the first request and a second ranked right to select a resource from the pool of resources to the second request based at least in part on the ranking of the first request and the ranking of the second request;

transmitting to the first user a communication that identifies the first ranked right to select;

transmitting to the second user a communication that identifies the second ranked right to the select,

wherein the first ranked right to select entitles the first user to make a resource pool selection before second user.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 , the method further comprising:

receiving over the network at a first time from the first user a first indication that the first user wants to make a resource selection,

wherein the first indication is associated with a first code;

determining if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time;

if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, enabling the first user to select at least one resource from the pool of resources;

receiving over the network at a second time from the second user a second indication that the second user wants to make a resource selection,

wherein the second indication is associated with a second code;

determining if the second user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time; and

if the second user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, enabling the second user to select a resource from the pool of resources.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein if the first user is not authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, a denial notification is transmitted to the first user.

18. The method as defined in claim 17 , wherein the denial notification informs the first user of the time window the first user is authorized to make a resource selection.

19. The method as defined in claim 16 , the method further comprising informing the first user of an alternate time window if a first time window assigned to the first user has passed.

20. The method as defined in claim 15 , the method further comprising:

receiving over the network a resource selection from the first user; and

removing the selected resource the pool of resources.

21. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising transmitting a ticket corresponding to the selected resource to the first user.

22. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising transmitting a token corresponding to the selected resource to the first user.

23. The method as defined in claim 15 , wherein the pool of resources includes the right to use a physical location.

24. The method as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first criterion relates to an item of value.

25. The method as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first right to select relates to selecting an event seat.

26. A resource allocation system, comprising:

a first network interface;

a data store storing information regarding a plurality of resources, including rights to select resources rankings;

a computing device; and

program code stored in computer readable memory, which, when executed by the computing device, performs operations comprising:

receiving from a first processor-based system over a network at a resource allocation system a first request from a first user for the right to select a resource from a pool of resources,

wherein the first request is associated with a first rankable attribute;

receiving from a second processor-based system over the network at the resource allocation system a second request from a second user for the right to select a resource from the pool of resources,

wherein the second request is associated with a second rankable attribute;

ranking the first request and the second request using at least the first rankable attribute and the second rankable attribute;

allocating a first ranked right to select a resource from the pool of resources to the first request and a second ranked right to select a resource from the pool of resources to the second request based at least in part on the ranking of the first request and the ranking of the second request;

transmitting to the first user a communication that identifies the first ranked right to select;

transmitting to the second user a communication that identifies the second ranked right to the select,

wherein the first ranked right to select entitles the first user to make a resource pool selection before second user.

27. The system as defined in claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

receiving over the network at a first time from the first user a first indication that the first user wants to make a resource selection, determining if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time;

if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first time, enabling the first user to select at least one resource from the pool of resources;

receiving over the network at a second time from the second user a second indication that the second user wants to make a resource selection,

determining if the second user is authorized to make a resource selection during the second time; and

if the second user is authorized to make a resource selection during the first second, enabling the second user to select a resource from the pool of resources.

28. The system as defined in claim 15 , wherein the pool of resources includes event seats.

29. A resource allocation system, comprising:

a first network interface;

a data store storing information regarding a plurality of resources, including rights to select resources rankings;

a computing device; and

program code stored in computer readable memory, which, when executed by the computing device, performs operations comprising:

receiving requests from users for the right to select a resource from a pool of resources,

wherein a given request is associated with a respective rankable attribute;

ranking the users' requests using at least the respective rankable attribute of the requests;

allocating the ranked rights to select resources to at least a portion of the requests using the ranking of the users' requests.

30. The system as defined in claim 29 , the operations further comprising transmitting to a first user a communication including a first code that identifies a first right to the select.

31. The system as defined in claim 30 , the operations further comprising:

receiving at a first chronological time from the first user a first indication that the first user wants to make a resource selection,

wherein the first indication is associated with the first code; and

determining if the first user is authorized to make a resource selection based at least in part on the first chronological time.

32. The system as defined in claim 31 , the operations further comprising transmitting a denial notification to the first requester at least partly in response to determining if first user is not authorized to make a resource selection based at least in part on the first chronological time, wherein the denial notification is configured to indicate that the first user is not authorized to make a resource selection at the first chronological time.

33. The system as defined in claim 30 , wherein the system is configured to transmit the first code via email.

34. The system as defined in claim 30 , wherein the system is configured to transmit the first code via an instant message or an SMS message.

35. The system as defined in claim 30 , wherein at least a first of the rights to select resources rankings is a right to select an event ticket.