Apple patent reveals iPhone app for buying movie tickets

Today, the US Patent & Trademark Office has published an Apple patent application which outlines a brand new iPhone app for one-click movie ticket purchasing. Aptly named Movie (not related to Apple’s iMovie for iOS app), it reminded us of Apple’s previously patented app for buying concert and event tickets. The Movie app would provide access to showtimes, previously viewed movies and trailers on the iTunes Movie Trailers page that provide more information about upcoming flicks. Patently Apple has poked around and discovered other features:

It’s also tied into the iPhone’s calendar so that it could remind you of previous engagements and/or tight schedules. This app is likely to be associated with many next generation apps associated with Apple’s forthcoming iWallet. This will definitely be a great little app that all movie goers will appreciate.

Entitled “Systems and Methods for Providing Context-Based Movie Information”, the document can be found by entering the application number 20110137690 in the USPTO search engine. Apple credits engineers John Louch and Todd Ditchendorf with inventing the solution.

Interesting, one of the diagrams sheds more light on the calendar linking feature. The app could display calendar times that are available and share ticket purchasing information with contacts. As a result, it would be easy to, say, work out suitable movie times for both you and your girlfriend or re-schedule your appointments around that late afternoon drama she’s gotten tickets for. And think again before using your iPhone to bootleg the latest summer blockbuster because Apple has a patent for that, too.