System and methods for continuous fare shopping and virtual grouping of itinerary requests
First Claim
1. A system for auctioning consumer demand to suppliers comprising:
- a request adapter for receiving a first data set in a first protocol, converting the first data set to a second data set in a second intermediate protocol and then, converting the second data set to a third data set in a third protocol;
a request preprocessor for receiving the third data set from the request adapter and filtering the third data set;
a virtual group processor for receiving the third data set, which has been filtered by the request preprocessor and un-rejected, and creating at least one group, including the third data set and other data sets in the third protocol; and
a dynamic packaging orchestrator and continuous shopping engine (DPO/CSE) for managing the at least one group, shopping for bids on at least one product represented in the at least one group, and booking the at least one product based on the received bids.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods for auctioning consumer demand to suppliers comprising: a request adapter for receiving a first data set in a first protocol, converting the first data set to a second data set in a second intermediate protocol and then, converting the second data set to a third data set in a third protocol; a request preprocessor for receiving the third data set from the request adapter and filtering the third data set; a virtual group processor for receiving the third data set, which has been filtered by the request preprocessor and not rejected, and creating at least one group, including the third data set and other data sets in the third protocol; and a dynamic packaging orchestrator and continuous shopping engine for managing the at least one group, shopping for bids on at least one product represented in the at least one group, and booking the at least one product based on the received bids.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A system for auctioning consumer demand to suppliers comprising:
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a request adapter for receiving a first data set in a first protocol, converting the first data set to a second data set in a second intermediate protocol and then, converting the second data set to a third data set in a third protocol;
a request preprocessor for receiving the third data set from the request adapter and filtering the third data set;
a virtual group processor for receiving the third data set, which has been filtered by the request preprocessor and un-rejected, and creating at least one group, including the third data set and other data sets in the third protocol; and
a dynamic packaging orchestrator and continuous shopping engine (DPO/CSE) for managing the at least one group, shopping for bids on at least one product represented in the at least one group, and booking the at least one product based on the received bids. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29)
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12. A travel information system for auctioning consumer demand to suppliers comprising:
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a request adapter for receiving a PNR from a distribution system and converting the PNR to a travel request;
a request preprocessor for receiving the travel request from the request adapter and filtering the travel request, based on a set of elimination rules;
a virtual group processor for receiving travel requests, filtered by the request preprocessor and un-rejected, and creating at least one group, including the travel requests and other travel requests; and
a dynamic packaging orchestrator and continuous shopping engine (DPO/CSE) for managing the at least one group, shopping for bids on at least one product represented in the at least one group, and using events and availability information to obtain the at least one product represented, and booking the at least one product.
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19. A method for auctioning consumer demand to suppliers in a travel information network comprising the steps of:
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transferring a PNR from a distribution system to a request adapter for conversion to a travel request;
transferring the travel request from the request adapter to a request preprocessor;
filtering the travel requests with the request preprocessor;
transferring the filtered travel requests that are un-rejected to a virtual group processor;
forming at least one group, including the travel requests and other travel requests with the virtual group processor; and
transferring the at least one group from the virtual group processor to a dynamic packaging orchestrator and continuous shopping engine (DPO/CSE) that;
manages the at least one group, shops for bids on at least one product represented in the at least one group, receives bids on the at least one product represented in the at least one group, and books the at least one product based on the received bids.
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27. A method for booking a travel request comprising:
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receiving the travel request;
continuously shopping the travel request at a distribution system;
reevaluating a price offered at the distribution system to fulfill the travel request; and
booking the travel request at the distribution system if it is determined that an appropriate price is offered at the distribution system.
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30. A dynamic packaging orchestrator and continuous shopping engine (DPO/CSE) comprising:
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a dynamic packaging management module for dividing one or more grouped travel requests into a plurality of individual requests represented in the one or more grouped requests and creating additional requests based on flexibility rules;
a dynamic cornection constructor module for receiving the one or more grouped requests and generating a list of alternate requests, based on a consumer'"'"'s flexibility, and submitting the alternate requests to the dynamic packaging management module; and
a bid management module for;
receiving the plurality of individual requests, the additional requests, and the alternate requests from the dynamic packaging management module, offering the plurality of individual requests, the additional request, and the alternate requests for bidding, receiving bids on the plurality of individual requests, the additional requests, and the alternate requests and determining whether one or more of the bids are acceptable, and booking one or more of the bids that were acceptable with a distribution system.
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31. A method for providing item requests comprising:
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receiving requests for items from at least one of a plurality of sources;
processing the requests for items received in a standard format or converting the request for items received in other formats to a standard format;
eliminating the request for items that fail to meet a predetermined criteria;
reorganizing the request for items into groups having the same or similar items;
offering the groups for bid to prospective suppliers;
receiving a bid from at least one of the prospective suppliers that fulfill an item within one of the grouped request for items.
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Specification