Online-reservation system and method with automatic canceling function

• US 20030097284A1
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Shinozaki, Noboru
• Application Number:
  US10/288,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

An online-reservation system is provided for managing an online-reservation offered from a terminal communicably connected through a commination network. In the system, information about a reservation for an event taken place in a facility is received from the terminal via the communication network. The reservation is made by a user. Also positional information comes from the terminal via the communication network so as to manage a current position of a user who made the reservation. Both the received reservation information and the received current position the user are managed. In cases where the user moves out of a predetermined area enclosing the facility, the reservation is automatically cancelled.

Claims

1. A facially-reserving management server to which a terminal is communicably connected through a commination network, comprising:

a reservation receiving unit configured to receive information about a reservation for an event taken place in a facility from the terminal via the communication network, the reservation being made by a user;

a reservation managing unit configured to manage the received reservation information;

a position managing unit configured to receive positional information coming from the terminal via the communication network and to manage a current position of a user who made the reservation; and

a reservation canceling unit configured to cancel the reservation in cases where the user moves out of a predetermined area enclosing the facility.

2. The facially-reserving management server of claim 1, wherein the reservation receiving unit includes a unit configured to accept only the reservation offered from the terminal that is present within the predetermined area.

3. The facially-reserving management server of claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify the terminal of the cancellation of the reservation by an electronic mail.

4. The facially-reserving management server of claim 1, further comprising a reservation keeping unit configured to keep the reservation even when the user goes out of the area, in cases where a notification that the user temporarily goes out of the predetermined area is issued from the terminal before a start of the event.

5. The facially-reserving management server of claim 1, wherein the reservation receiving unit includes a unit configured to allow the user to make the reservation from outside the area, in cases where the user has a membership authorized by an operator of the facially-reserving management server.

6. A method of managing an online-reservation, which is carried out by a facility-reserving management server connected to a communicable terminal through a communication network, the online-reservation being issued from the terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information about a reservation for an event taken place in a facility from the terminal via the communication network, the reservation being made by a user, and positional information coming from the terminal via the communication network so as to manage a current position of a user who made the reservation;

managing both the received reservation information and the received current position the user; and

canceling the reservation in cases where the user moves out of a predetermined area enclosing the facility.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving step includes a step of accepting only the reservation offered from the terminal that is present within the predetermined area.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of notifying the terminal of the cancellation of the reservation by an electronic mail.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of keeping the reservation even when the user goes out of the area, in cases where a notification that the user temporarily goes out of the area is issued from the terminal before a start of the event.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving step includes a step of allowing the user to make the reservation from outside the area, in cases where the user has a membership authorized by an operator of a system adopting the method.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of acquiring the information about the reservation from the facility-reserving management server to manage the reservation for the facility.

12. A program installed in a computer system for managing an online-reservation offered from a terminal communicably connected through a commination network, the program enabling the computer system to functionally perform the steps of:

receiving information about a reservation for an event taken place in a facility from the terminal via the communication network, the reservation being made by a user, and positional information coming from the terminal via the communication network so as to manage a current position of a user who made the reservation;

managing both the received reservation information and the received current position the user; and

canceling the reservation in cases where the user moves out of a predetermined area enclosing the facility.

13. The program of claim 12, wherein the receiving step includes a step of accepting only the reservation offered from the terminal that is present within the predetermined area.

14. The program of claim 12, further comprising the step of notifying the terminal of the cancellation of the reservation by an electronic mail.

15. The program of claim 12, further comprising the step of keeping the reservation even when the user goes out of the area, in cases where a notification that the user temporarily goes out of the area is issued from the terminal before a start of the event.

16. The program of claim 12, wherein the receiving step includes a step of allowing the user to make the reservation from outside the area, in cases where the user has a membership authorized by an operator of the computer system.