System and method for posting available time slots to a network hub

• US 20010037225A1
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Last Minute Tee Times, Inc.
• Inventors: Last, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A browser-based tee time posting system for use by golf courses to post available tee times to a tee time reservations hub for reservation by golfers accessing the hub. The system includes a hub web server adapted to serve web pages and to accept time slot information from a golf course user via a browser. Golf course users each with a web browser at respective network nodes request time slot information from the system, receive web pages served by the hub web server in response, and provide time slot information to the hub web server. Golf course users, such as course pro shop employees, may thus autonomously provide updated tee time availability information to the system hub, and the system hub thus need not be burdened with tee time update tasks. The system may generate a simple check box or radio button interface so that the golf course user may easily select and de-select tee times for that course. The system may enable the course user to generate an input template for subsequent use by that course user. In one embodiment, the system may accept tee time inputs from multiple sources, including multiple software-based tee time management systems installed in golf courses. The system reduces the considerable time and expense that golf courses and hubs may incur in posting and maintaining golf course tee time inventory.

Claims

1. A system for posting available time slot information to a network hub from a plurality of network nodes, the time slot posting system comprising:

a hub web server adapted to serve web pages and to accept time slot information; and

a web browser at each of a plurality of network nodes, each web browser adapted to accept time slot information inputted by a network node user, to receive web pages served by the hub web server, and to provide time slot information to the hub web server;

wherein each network node is associated with a web address by which the respective web browser can access the hub web server.

2. The time slot posting system according to

claim 1

further comprising a time slot posting page associated with each of the respective network nodes and served by the hub web server, wherein each time slot posting page comprises a list of time slots available at the respective network node.

3. The time slot posting system according to

claim 2

wherein each time slot posting page further comprises user selection means associated with each element in the list of time slots available at the respective network node, the user selection means adapted to enable the respective network node user to select from among the respective list of time slots available and to communicate selection data to the hub web server.

4. The time slot posting system according to

claim 3

wherein the user selection means comprises a web form check box.

5. The time slot posting system according to

claim 3

wherein the user selection means comprises a web form radio button.

6. The time slot posting system according to

claim 1

wherein the hub web server further comprises a time slot template, wherein the hub web server is further adapted to enable a network node user associated with a network node to create the time slot template using the respective web browser.

7. A system for posting available golf tee times from a golf course to a reservations hub so that prospective golfers may access an updated list of available tee times and make tee time reservations through the reservations hub, the tee time posting system comprising:

a tee time reservations hub comprising;

a web server adapted to serve at least one course input web page comprising tee time availability information to respective golf course web browsers; and

a database comprising tee time information associated with each of a plurality of golf courses; and

a plurality of golf course web browsers each adapted to browse the course input web page associated with the respective golf course and to provide tee time availability inputs to the tee time reservations hub through the golf course web browser.

8. The tee time posting system according to

claim 7

wherein the web server is further adapted to serve golfer web pages containing multiple-course tee time information to a plurality of prospective golfers so that the golfers may select and reserve tee times from a list of tee times available at a plurality of golf courses.

9. The tee time posting system according to

claim 7

wherein each of the course input web pages comprises:

a list of future tee times at the respective golf course; and

an input interface to enable a golf course user to select from the list of future tee times which of the future tee times are to be available to prospective golfers for reservation through the tee time reservations hub.

10. The tee time posting system according to

claim 9

wherein the input interface comprises a plurality of web form check boxes associated with respective elements in the list of future tee times.

11. The tee time posting system according to

claim 9

wherein the input interface comprises a plurality of web form radio buttons associated with respective elements in the list of future tee times.

12. The tee time posting system according to

claim 7

wherein the course input web pages are secured so that access by the golf course web browsers to the course input web pages may be controlled.

13. The tee time posting system according to

claim 7

wherein the course input web pages indicate which of the available tee times have previously been posted to the tee time reservations hub.

14. The tee time posting system according to

claim 7

wherein the web server further comprises a tee time template, and wherein the web server is further adapted to enable a golf course to create the tee time template using the respective golf course web browser.

15. A method for posting available golf tee times by a golf course to a tee time reservations hub so that prospective golfers may access updated tee time availability information, the method comprising the steps of:

at the tee time reservations hub, receiving a web page request from a golf course web browser;

in response to the web page request, serving a tee time posting page comprising a list of future tee times at the respective golf course and a tee time input interface; and

receiving, from the tee time input interface via the golf course web browser, a posting input indicating which elements in the list of future tee times are to be available to the tee time reservations hub.

16. The golf tee time posting method according to

claim 15

further comprising the steps of:

serving a tee sheet template page comprising a tee time form and a template input interface; and

receiving, from the template input interface via the golf course web browser, a completed tee time form associated with the structure of a tee time management system used by the golf course.

17. The golf tee time posting method according to

claim 15

further comprising the step of assigning a web page address to the golf course.

18. The golf tee time posting method according to

claim 15

wherein the tee time posting page serving step comprises the step of determining which elements in the list of future tee times have previously been posted to the reservations hub.

19. The golf tee time posting method according to

claim 15

further comprising the step of, in response to the posting input, posting a list of available tee times on a tee time reservations web page so that prospective golfers may reserve tee times.

20. The golf tee time posting method according to

claim 15

wherein the tee time posting page serving step comprises the step of serving a list of next-day tee times at the respective golf course.

21. A system for displaying available golf tee times from a golf course to prospective golfers so that the prospective golfers may access an updated list of available tee times and make tee time reservations through a reservations hub, the tee time posting system comprising:

a tee time reservations hub comprising;

a web server adapted to serve at least one tee time web page comprising tee time availability information associated with each of a plurality of golf courses golf courses; and

a database comprising tee time information associated with respective golf courses; and

a plurality of golfer web browsers each adapted to browse the tee time web page and to provide tee time reservation inputs to the tee time reservations hub through the golfer web browser.

22. The tee time posting system according to

claim 21

wherein the web server is further adapted to serve tee time web pages containing multiple-course tee time information so that the prospective golfers may select and reserve tee times from a list of tee times available at a plurality of golf courses.

23. The tee time posting system according to

claim 22

wherein the web server is further adapted to serve tee time web pages containing a subset of tee times available from multiple courses so that the prospective golfers may select and reserve tee times from a subset of the list of available tee times.