Electronic ticketing and reservation system and method
First Claim
1. A method of validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
- making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual without issuing a paper ticket to the individual;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank;
transmitting personal identification information, which is obtained from the individual at a selected location in an airline terminal, to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing the reservation data stored in the central data bank, and effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the flight without requiring a paper ticket, whereby access to airline flights can be effected without the need for issuing a paper ticket to the participating individual;
storing information in the central data bank indicating that the individual has checked baggage to be carried by the particular airline flight when the individual checks baggage at the airline terminal prior to boarding the airline flight;
storing information in the central data bank for each individual who boards the particular airline flight indicating that the individual has boarded; and
comparing the information in the central data bank which identifies individuals who have checked baggage for the particular airline flight with information in the central data bank which identifies individuals that have boarded the particular airline flight to determine whether any individual who has checked baggage has not boarded, before the particular airline flight departs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and system for issuing an electronic authorization and validation for pre-scheduled activities, such as airline reservations, to eliminate paper tickets. The passenger makes the reservation and a reservation number is issued in the central computer of the airline reservation center. The passenger is then issued a plastic I.D. card that may be used to access the computer for validation purposes. An automatic teller machine, at the airport, allows the passenger to receive specific flight information, departure gate information, and a boarding pass, and to make reservations and access frequent flier information and messages, simply by the insertion of the I.D. card in a card a reader at the ATM. A mobile airline communications system at the departure gate includes a magnetic card reader that provides validation of the reservation at the departure, which allows the passenger to board the aircraft. The system may be utilized for hotel reservations, car rentals and other types of pre-scheduled, pre-payable activities that require authorization and validation at each scheduled activity. Also, goods and services provided by the airline may be obtained using the I.D. card, including charging purchases against the passenger'"'"'s accumulated frequent flier miles.
275 Citations
82 Claims
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1. A method of validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
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making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual without issuing a paper ticket to the individual;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank;
transmitting personal identification information, which is obtained from the individual at a selected location in an airline terminal, to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing the reservation data stored in the central data bank, and effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the flight without requiring a paper ticket, whereby access to airline flights can be effected without the need for issuing a paper ticket to the participating individual;
storing information in the central data bank indicating that the individual has checked baggage to be carried by the particular airline flight when the individual checks baggage at the airline terminal prior to boarding the airline flight;
storing information in the central data bank for each individual who boards the particular airline flight indicating that the individual has boarded; and
comparing the information in the central data bank which identifies individuals who have checked baggage for the particular airline flight with information in the central data bank which identifies individuals that have boarded the particular airline flight to determine whether any individual who has checked baggage has not boarded, before the particular airline flight departs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
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making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual without issuing a paper ticket to the individual;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank;
creating in the central data bank a passenger record for an individual who makes a reservation for an airline flight, said passenger record including reservation fields each relating to a respective flight for which said individual has made a flight reservation, each reservation field including information indicating a flight number, a flight departure date, a flight departure time, and a gate number for the flight; and
transmitting personal identification information, which is obtained from the individual at a selected location in an airline terminal, to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing the reservation data stored in the central data bank, and effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the flight without requiring a paper ticket, whereby access to airline flights can be effected without the need for issuing a paper ticket to the participating individual;
wherein said passenger record further includes individual profile information, including the name of the individual and special needs of the individual. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method of validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
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making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual without issuing a paper ticket to the individual;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank;
creating in the central data bank a passenger record for an individual who makes a reservation for an airline flight, said passenger record including at least the name of the individual and graphic data identifying the individual; and
transmitting personal identification information, which is obtained from the individual at a selected location in an airline terminal, to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing the reservation data stored in the central data bank, and effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the flight without requiring a paper ticket, whereby access to airline flights can be effected without the need for issuing a paper ticket to the participating individual. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
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making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual who has a reusable personal identification card having stored thereon identification information corresponding to the individual but no specific reservation or airline flight information;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank, including creating in the central data bank a passenger record for an individual who makes a reservation for an airline flight, said passenger record including reservation fields each relating to a respective flight for which said individual has made a flight reservation, each reservation field including information indicating a flight number, a flight departure date, a flight departure time, and a gate number for the flight;
reading the personal identification card of the individual at a selected location in an airline terminal to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing the reservation data in the passenger record of the individual stored in the central data bank, and effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the airline flight without requiring a paper ticket; and
issuing a boarding pass to the individual to allow the individual to board the airline flight without presenting an airline ticket after the personal identification card is read and the reservation has been verified. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
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making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual who has a reusable personal identification card having stored thereon identification information corresponding to the individual but no specific reservation or airline flight information;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank;
reading the personal identification card of the individual at a selected location in an airline terminal to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing the reservation data stored in the central data bank, and effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the airline flight without requiring a paper ticket; and
issuing a boarding pass to the individual to allow the individual to board the airline flight without presenting an airline ticket after the personal identification card is read and the reservation has been verified. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method of validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
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making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual through a travel agent without either the travel agent or the airline issuing an airline ticket to the individual;
receiving from the travel agent payment for the airline flight on behalf of the individual;
crediting an account of the travel agent by an amount equal to a predetermined commission as soon as payment has been received on behalf of the individual;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank;
transmitting personal identification information, which is obtained from the individual at a selected location of an airline terminal, to the central data bank, to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing the reservation data stored in the central data bank, and to effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the airline flight without requiring an airline ticket; and
issuing a boarding pass to the individual to allow the individual to board the airline flight without presenting an airline ticket after the personal identification information has been received from the selected location and the reservation has been verified;
whereby access to airline flights can be effected without the need for issuing an airline ticket to the individual.
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68. A method of validating a reservation for an airline flight, in order to eliminate the need for paper tickets, said method comprising the steps of:
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making a reservation for a particular airline flight for a particular individual who has a reusable personal identification card having stored thereon identification information corresponding to the individual but no specific reservation or airline flight information;
storing reservation data, which identifies the individual and the particular airline flight for which the reservation has been made, in a reservation data storage area of a central data bank, including creating in the central data bank a passenger record for an individual who makes a reservation for an airline flight, said passenger record including the name of the individual, graphic data identifying the individual and reservation fields each relating to a respective flight for which said individual has made a flight reservation, each reservation field including information indicating a flight number, a flight departure date, a flight departure time, and a gate number for the flight reading the personal identification card of the individual at a selected location in an airline terminal to verify the reservation for the particular airline flight, by accessing graphic data and reservation data stored in a passenger record in the central data bank, and to verify the identity of the individual who presents the card on the basis of the accessed graphic data, thereby to effect automatic validation at the selected location to permit the individual to board the airline flight without requiring a paper ticket; and
issuing a boarding pass to the individual to allow the individual to board the airline flight without presenting an airline ticket after the personal identification card is read and the reservation has been verified. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. An airline reservation and authorization system for making a reservation for a particular individual for a particular flight and for allowing said individual to board said particular flight and to access services and purchase goods on said flight using only personal identification information, and without issuing an airline ticket to said individual, said system comprising:
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a central storage for storing reservation data concerning a predetermined flight and personal information which relates a particular individual, who has made a reservation for the predetermined flight, to the stored reservation data;
an identification card for accessing reservation data from said central storage, said card comprising storage means for storing information personal to an individual to identify that individual and not information concerning an airline flight for which the individual may make a reservation;
communication units located at sites remote from said central storage at which reservation information may be accessed by airline personnel from said central storage, said communication units each comprising means for providing a telecommunication connection with said central storage to verify reservation information on site and an identification card reader for reading the magnetic means on an identification card to identify an individual to the central storage, which central storage includes means responsive to personal information received from a remote site via said telecommunication means for verifying a reservation and authorizing the identified individual to board the airline flight without requiring the individual to present an airline ticket; and
an automatic teller machine at a publicly accessible location for providing information to an individual relating to an airline flight for which said individual has a reservation, said automatic teller machine comprising a card reader, a display terminal, a telecommunication unit responsive to personal information read from an identification card for accessing flight information in said central storage relating to a flight for which the card holder has a reservation to verify that reservation and for displaying said flight information, and means for issuing a boarding pass to said individual when said reservation has been verified. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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Specification